The Light of Destruction
by Graf Eisen III
Summary: Once he saved them, but now he stands against them. Can those who were once saved stand against their savior-turned-enemy?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

The Light of Destruction

Prologue

There had been a time once, when he might have been welcome here. Considering his current affiliation, that was impossible now or ever again. The Stern Ritter 'L' briefly thought on this, and then just as quickly dismissed the thought. He'd learned a lot in the last few months, and one of those things was that thinking of the impossible was as useless as it sounded, and was therefore not worth the time or effort.

And so he quickly dismissed the useless sentiments, even as he just as quickly cut down another Shinigami charging at them. A part of him felt demeaned by this duty, even if it was given by their Emperor.

_He was a Stern Ritter. Escort duty for anyone short of the Emperor was for the Soldat, and not for one of the Quincy elite._

But orders were orders, and so the Stern Ritter silently put the thought aside as the party continued to make its way towards the Captain-Commander's office. As they entered the large, well-lit room, they found it empty apart from the old man himself and a messenger kneeling on the floor a good distance from the Captain-Commander.

The 'L' wondered if they should leave the messenger – clearly unaware of their presence – to the spokesperson, but the answer to that question was apparently no as the Shinigami literally exploded the moment they entered the room. He almost laughed. The Stern Ritter 'E' the Explode Bambietta Basterbine had an all but literal short fuse, and she had verbally protested among their fellow Stern Ritter the fact that an Arrancar would be delivering their declaration of war.

The fact that she would be escorting said Arrancar and protecting him from harm on approach would probably have driven her temper to the boiling point. No doubt she'd been itching to let an 'accident' happen along the way – everyone else apart from him and the Arrancar probably did – if not for the Emperor's orders.

_Hmm…perhaps they should have left her with Driscoll outside the building?_

The 'L' immediately redirected his attentions to the task at hand as the Arrancar began to speak. The Captain-Commander appeared unfazed, and the Quincy wondered if he'd sensed their approach. He immediately realized that if he had, then he probably didn't consider them a threat considering how easy it had been to get here.

_In hindsight I'm not surprised at the extent of such arrogance._

"There is no need to worry." Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 and the Captain of the First Division returned the Arrancar's comment on the lax security. "I am here. There is no better security than this."

Behind his mask the Stern Ritter couldn't help but chuckle quietly. The old man was exactly how he remembered. "I see…" the Arrancar returned. "…those will be your arrogant last words, Genryuusai Yamamoto."

Almost as if on cue, one of Driscoll's heilig pfeil flew through the windows on one side, and flying through the room impaled against the other wall a Shinigami which the 'L' recognized as the First Division's Lieutenant Choujiro Sasakibe.

_The Stern Ritter 'O' the Overkill Driscoll Berci was clearly living up to his title._

"Do not grieve. You should praise him." The Arrancar said shortly afterwards. "He was so kind as to show you what your end will be. In other words after fighting and sacrificing everything you will die a desperate death. In five days the Soul Society will be annihilated by the Vandenreich."

Fire flashed with the ancient Shinigami's rage and fury, and in the blink of an eye the Captain-Commander destroyed Driscoll's heilig pfeil and allowed his injured subordinate to fall to the ground. "Those eyes…" the Arrancar commented. "…I know what you want to ask. Who are we? Surely you understand that we're not going to give an answer."

Shadows flared around them preparing to transport them back to Vandenreich, but the 'L' found himself tensing. Even five of the most powerful Stern Ritter could not hope to last long against the leader of the Shinigami. And he was right. Even as their spokesperson said his farewell, the Captain-Commander lashed out in fury, his flames barely avoiding them as the Emperor's shadow engulfed them…

…and the party found themselves transported before the Emperor's throne room. The Soldat on guard duty immediately gave a salute, and the doors opened. The Arrancar walked through them first, arrogantly discarding his mask, cap, and cloak as he approached the Emperor's throne with a smug smile.

The 'L' snorted in disdain as the Stern Ritter instead stood at attention to the sides. The mission technically wasn't over until the report had been delivered to the Emperor, and the throne room was hardly a place to be overly-concerned about one's attire. Not that he and the other Stern Ritter expected the Arrancar to ever leave the place alive.

_There's really no point in learning his name, considering that his life was forfeit the moment he accepted this mission. That was all the Arrancar Vanguard was for anyway, to perform suicide missions, and when their given tasks were done, they were to be disposed of._

The 'L' didn't hate Arrancar and Hollows to the same extent as his fellow Quincy, but it was still with a sense of satisfaction that he observed the Emperor putting the arrogant Arrancar in his place. And apparently the idiot didn't learn his lesson, considering how he was going off-tangent.

_It was his funeral._

"I just asked you…" the Emperor was saying. "…whether you are a prophet or not…?"

"Ah…no…I'm not…"

"Then why are you talking about the future? I want to hear about now."

There was a flash of light and the Arrancar whose name he couldn't be bothered to remember – the Emperor had mentioned it but the 'L' was certain the Emperor would understand if he forgot about a dead Hollow's name so quickly – was blown apart. The Emperor made a gesture dismissing the Stern Ritter present, who bowed and quietly proceeded to leave the throne room.

_Everyone apart from Grand Master Haschwalth, although that was to be expected considering that he was the Emperor's advisor, and would be needed to discuss their next move in the war._

The moment they left the throne room, the Stern Ritter on duty had immediately relaxed and discarded the caps and masks they'd been made to use while on the most recent mission. "That mission was so dreary…" Bambietta immediately complained while fishing out her commissar cap from inside her cloak and putting it on her head. "…but I suppose it's worth it considering how His Majesty wasted that Arrancar in the end."

"I'm sure you'll get your chance Bambietta." The Stern Ritter 'L' the Light Ichigo Kurosaki commented while smoothing out his uniform. "At the latest we'll be invading the Soul Society within a week. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun when that happens."

"Humph…" the girl scoffed. "…Driscoll over here had a lot fun today, didn't you?"

"As if…" the larger man scoffed in his turn. "…even that lieutenant was so weak, he was barely worth the time and effort."

"And let me guess…" Ichigo commented. "…the only thing that made it worthwhile was the man's Bankai?"

Driscoll laughed. "Naturally…" he said, and Bambietta rolled her eyes. She was among the Stern Ritter who while admitting that the idea of stealing Bankai and using them against their owners had merit, had been disdainful of using a power that wasn't theirs to begin with.

_Somehow I can relate._

Ichigo's thoughts on the matter were immediately disrupted when the rest of Bambietta's entourage arrived and immediately surrounded her. "And how was your first mission, Kurosaki?" the Stern Ritter 'D' the Death-dealing Askin Nakk le Vaar asked, appearing out of nowhere as was his norm. After having it happen to him more than once in the past, it barely fazed the younger Stern Ritter.

"Oh it's you Askin…" he said. "…it was satisfying, I suppose. Neither His Majesty nor the Grand Master will have to worry about my performance in what is to come."

"Excellent…" Askin said mockingly with faux and theatrical applause. "…that is most reassuring. As a Special War Power, having you on our side is most comforting. We all have high expectations of you Kurosaki."

"And I have no intentions of disappointing."

_There was too much at stake to disappoint the Emperor._

"Hmm…oh well, I'll just have to wait and see for that to happen." Askin said with a shrug before looking over Ichigo's shoulder and giving a smirk. "Oh and by the way your girlfriend is getting impatient."

"She's not my…ugh, why do I even bother?" Ichigo said, and Askin laughed at his expense while he strolled over to where Bambietta was waiting for him.

"Did you have a nice chat with Askin, Ichigo?" the girl asked as they began to walk away from the Emperor's throne room.

"Is that sarcasm I hear?"

"Maybe…Askin's rather…unusual…"

"And I'm not? Technically speaking I'm gemischt, remember?"

"…you're a Special War Power…" Bambietta said firmly. "…you're also a Stern Ritter and therefore one of us."

"So is Askin…"

"True…oh enough about that. You should stop worrying about your status."

"...I don't worry about it." Ichigo assured her. "I've too much at stake to worry about it, seeing as worrying about things will just end up distracting me. And in any case, it's as you say: I am a Stern Ritter."

"That's better." Bambietta said approvingly. "And when the invasion comes, you can put to rest any further questions of your loyalty."

"I've every intention of doing so."

* * *

"How is our Special War Power progressing?" the Emperor Yhwach asked.

"He's doing well for himself." The Stern Ritter 'B' the Balance Jugram Haschwalth answered. "The Explode and her clique appear to have accepted him, as has the Superstar and to an extent the Death-dealing. The others are waiting for further confirmation of his skills and loyalty, although they have been cordial. He has after all received the Schrift, Your Majesty."

"Indeed…" the Emperor responded with a nod. "…the Light will prove most useful in what is to come. You may go Haschwald…unless you have something else to add?"

"A question has rather concerned me recently, Your Majesty."

"And that is…?"

"Uryuu Ishida…" Haschwalth said. "…I have no fears regarding our newest Stern Ritter's loyalty. I did personally oversee his initial training, and I can practically guarantee his loyalty. But the other…"

"It is of no concern." The Emperor said dismissively. "No doubt Ishida won't nearly be as loyal as the Light, considering that we have not the time to properly reeducate him given our time frame, but I already have taken that into consideration."

"I see." Haschwalth said before giving a bow. "In that case Your Majesty I have to nothing more to add. May I take my leave?"

The Emperor nodded. "You may go Haschwalth."

* * *

A/N

I'll start in media res, so why Ichigo is with the Vandenreich and the reason behind his loyalty to Yhwach will be explained in flashback chapters later on.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

The Light of Destruction

Chapter 1

The Gotei 13 was assembled in full parade formation within the Seireitei, an honor guard to commemorate the untimely passing of First Division Lieutenant Choujiro Sasakibe. Every Shinigami not on urgent field duty was present, solemn and silent behind their officers as Sixth Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki gave the eulogy on a raised podium beside the pyre of the fallen Shinigami.

On the other side of the pyre stood the Captain-Commander, aged and worn like never before it seemed.

As Byakuya droned on, Eleventh Division Third Seated Officer Ikkaku Madarame gave a sigh and drew the attention of the Eleventh Division's Fifth Seated Officer Yumichika Ayasegawa.

"What's wrong Ikkaku?" the effeminate Shinigami asked. "Are you bored or something?"

"Nah, it's not that." The bald man said. "It's just that…I really feel a sense of kinship with Sasakibe. Funny that we never really got along before then…after all he was among the older Shinigami and had something of an upper class note to him but…"

"But…?"

"...he could have been a captain if he wanted to, and had many opportunities to become one long before now…" Ikkaku continued, and Yumichika nodded slowly in understanding. "…but he remained a 'mere' subordinate all out of loyalty to the old man. It makes you think, you know what I mean?"

"Yes it does." Yumichika said. "He's just like you in that regard."

Ikkaku nodded and fell silent, even as Byakuya concluded his speech. "…light the pyre." The Captain-Commander ordered mere moments after the other captain had stepped down. The members of the Kidou Corps flanking the pyre with blazing torches in their hands stepped forwards, and put their flames to the pyre.

As flames reduced the pyre and the fallen alike to ash, Yamamoto looked on in silence, the flames of wrath burning cold within him. It was just as that Quincy said: it was quite obvious who and what they were, and there was no need to verbalize it. It was also quite obvious as to the reasoning behind their recent actions.

_If it's a war that man wants, then it's a war he'll get._

As the pyre burned down to ashes and cinders, Yamamoto walked away in silence, to brood on his grief and rage alone for a time before the scheduled emergency meeting among the captains.

_I won't say farewell Choujiro…not yet, not until your murderer falls by my hand._

* * *

Ichigo lay on the couch in his quarters within the Vandenreich, asleep but with his senses spread out over his quarters. One of the things that had come out of having his Quincy heritage brought to the fore was having improved his spiritual awareness to a degree like never before. As it was, he found himself stirring as he sensed the arrival of several familiar Quincy.

_What are they doing here?_

He cracked open an eye and stared up at the smiling face of the Stern Ritter 'Z' the Zombie Giselle Gewelle, who was slumped over the back of his couch. "Morning, Ichi-chan…!" she gushed.

"Giselle…" he said. "…what do you want?"

"Oh you're so cold." The girl pouted while playing with her hair. "I came to visit since you won't visit me."

"I would visit if it weren't for those creepy dolls all over your place."

The girls giggled – except for Bambietta who just looked annoyed at the reminder of her friend's hobby (not that she could really talk) while sitting down on a nearby armchair – at his words. "Ichigo you moron…" the Stern Ritter 'G' the Glutton Liltotto Lamperd remarked. "…those aren't dolls…"

"I know…I know…!" Ichigo interrupted while sitting up with a scandalized expression on his face. "I know those aren't dolls, but can we please not talk about it?" The girls giggled again, and this time Bambietta actually gave an amused smile at his predicament. "Going back to my earlier question, what are you people doing here?"

"We got bored." Bambietta answered. "And then Candice got an idea to hang out with you, and dragged everyone along with her."

The woman in question grinned while sitting down on the couch (keeping a safe distance away from Ichigo lest Bambietta get jealous) before giving her own two cents. "So Ichigo…" she began. "…what do you plan to do after this war is over?"

Ichigo snorted derisively. "Just because the war ends it doesn't mean our duty will end with it." He said.

"Huh?"

"Use your head Thunderbolt." Ichigo said. "We burn the Seireitei down and crush both the thirteen divisions and the Royal Guard, while His Majesty supplants their king…and then we have to expand and consolidate the Vandenreich over what was once the Soul Society."

"Eh…?" the Stern Ritter 'T' the Thunderbolt Candice Catnipp said blankly. "We have to do that too? Don't we have Soldat for such boring things?"

"And who do you think leads the Soldat, Candice?" Bambietta asked, and the blonde gave a sound of defeat and looked away. "The Soldat will do fine hunting down survivors from the thirteen divisions and maintaining order within the so-called Rukongai but ultimately it will be us, the Stern Ritter, who will rebuild the world in His Majesty's image."

"Only after that can we settle down." Ichigo concluded. "Victory has a price after all, but I imagine that the rewards will be sweet. Huh…come to think of it, service to His Majesty has its perks. I never did get a reward for saving the Shinigami from Aizen…just don't tell Gremmy that. I'll never hear the end of it…that little brat will be going 'I told you so' if he hears of it."

The gathered Stern Ritter fell silent, as the idea of 'reeducation' was an open secret among their people but was nevertheless not something to be discussed in public. It was a credit to Ichigo's loyalty to the Emperor that he like all Quincy ultimately considered the process a necessity in war. Giselle had asked about it once before, and had merely been told that getting angry about it would serve no purpose and that for better or for worse, his sword and power now served the Emperor.

_As should be expected from a fellow Quincy and a Special War Power…_

"So…" Giselle began anew, still twirling a lock of hair with a finger. "…is your 'relationship' with Bambi-chan going anywhere?"

"Shut up."

* * *

"Sorry…" Uryuu Ishida said. "…but I can't go with you. I have other business to attend to."

"Ishida-kun…" Orihime Inoue began, only to be preempted by Kisuke Urahara who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure about this?" Urahara asked with his eyes fixed on Uryuu's own. "Things are going to be dangerous."

Uryuu nodded, deducing that Urahara had already seen through him and his plans. "I know…" he said. "…take care of them Urahara-san, in mine and Kurosaki's place…and take care of yourself as well."

Urahara smiled as Uryuu's eyes narrowed; apparently while the Quincy was confident that his friends were relatively safe, the same could not be said for him. "I will…" he said before turning to the little Arrancar who'd recruited them into heading for Hueco Mundo on a rescue mission. "…now then, shall we get going?"

Orihime and Chad nodded, and Nel nodded as well. Uryuu just watched as they headed into the Garganta, and once they were gone he turned to leave only to be brought up short by a dark-skinned woman in very revealing attire seated on a nearby rock. "You're playing a dangerous game kid." She said. "Do you really think Yhwach won't see through you?"

"He probably will…" he admitted. "…but then again nothing can be achieved without a significant degree of risk."

Yoruichi Shihoin sighed and shook her head. "I never thought that I'd ever hear a Quincy say that." She said. "Normally you people are more pragmatic than that: seeking victory at minimum risk. But then again we could really use someone on the inside. Watch your back Ishida, Yhwach and the other Quincy are dangerous."

Uryuu nodded, eerily reminded of his own parting words with Urahara. "I will." He said, and Yoruichi smiled.

"And if Ichigo is with them…" she said and Uryuu's eyes narrowed. "…bring him back to us."

* * *

"Judging from the resonance in the ambient reishi levels within the areas the enemy attacked…" Twelfth Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi was saying to his fellow captains. "…as well as the fact that the large numbers of Hollows were destroyed as opposed to being purified, it's clear that we're dealing with a group of Quincy that somehow managed to avoid being killed centuries ago."

"Quincy…?" Eighth Division Captain Shunsui Kyouraku echoed before thoughtfully tugging on his hat's brim. "Bad business it seems to me…is it for revenge?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." Eleventh Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki commented. "It's only natural, right?"

"I suppose you could say that." Ninth Division Captain Kensei Muguruma agreed. "But we had reasons for doing what we did back then…"

"Whether we had a reason or not is meaningless…" Kyouraku interjected. "…we did what we did, and it's as Captain Zaraki said: it's a perfectly natural reaction. Of course…"

"…it's also a perfectly natural reaction for us to defend ourselves…" Tenth Division Captain Toushirou Hitsugaya finished, and Kyouraku nodded in agreement. "…to say nothing of protecting the balance of souls."

"The reasons are immaterial…" Yamamoto said sternly and preempting any further discussion. "…the enemy has declared war on us, and have drawn blood. Has the SRDI anything of importance to further report, in particular how the enemy was able to penetrate the Seireitei so deeply with ease without being detected?"

Mayuri was silent, and after a moment Yamamoto gripped his cane tightly. "Very well…" he continued, every word radiating serene fury. "…if that is the case, then we must assume the enemy is already upon us! The declaration implies that they will attack within five days therefore we must also assume that they will attack at any given time! As such I order all our forces to be on maximum alert, and all Shinigami are to return to the Seireitei for an impending enemy attack! Am I clear?"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

The Stern Ritter 'J' the Jail Quilge Opie, Hunt Captain of the Jagd Armee, looked up from the broken and defeated bodies of the three Arrancar females at the arrival of a powerful source of reiatsu. And to be honest, the sight wasn't very impressive: a whimsical-looking blonde man dressed in casual Japanese attire and a ridiculous hat. But the Quincy knew better than to be deceived by appearances.

The Shinigami after all was the one who succeeded in sealing the Special War Power Sousuke Aizen: former Twelfth Division Captain Kisuke Urahara. "A Shinigami…?" he began. "And not just any Shinigami…I must say that I am surprised to see the exiled Kisuke Urahara here of all places."

"What can I say?" Urahara returned jovially while swinging that cane of his around. "I tend to get around."

"Indeed…" Quilge conceded with a chuckle. He looked behind Urahara and confirmed what he had already sensed: the Inoue girl and Yasutora boy were here as well.

_Well that was troublesome. The Daten stated that they were not to be killed without explicit permission from the Emperor._

But this was the battlefield, and while the two were not to be killed His Majesty had not said anything about them not getting hurt. The Vandenreich had doctors of their own, and Quilge decided that if they got hurt in the fighting then so long as they could be healed then the situation would be understandable.

"…I wonder though…" he continued as five members of the Jagd Armee walked up alongside him. "…if you understood what it meant walking into this land…"

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" Urahara quipped, his eyes serious as he brought up his cane and drew his sword. Quilge smiled and made a gesture, and the five Jagd Armee members charged forward and surrounded the Shinigami as silvered spears appeared in their hands.

Another gesture and another Quincy ran up to the Hunt Captain. "...inform headquarters of the situation immediately." He ordered, and the man gave a salute.

"Yes sir, right away!"

Quilge directed his attentions back to the battle, and quickly found Urahara to be worthy of his place in the Daten. Even with his zanpakutou sealed, he quickly made short work of the three Quincy who attacked from the front, and while blocking the attack from the left shot his enemy on the right dead through the forehead with a Kidou.

_Most likely Hadou number four: Byakurai._

Quilge chuckled as he palmed his Quincy Cross and summoned his own spirit weapon – a sabre – and pointing it at Urahara created six heilig pfeil. Urahara cut down the fifth Quincy and noticed the arrows as they were loosed against him.

"Awaken Benihime…!" he said softly, and swung his unsealed sword to generate a hexagonal, crimson shield before him that blocked all of the Quincy's arrows. Warned by instinct he dodged, and avoided a decapitating blow from the side by the enemy leader. Quilge pressed the offensive, hammering away at Urahara's guard with whirlwind-like strikes from his sabre.

Urahara tripped, and the Quincy dove in for the kill…and was surprised when Urahara blurred and appeared behind him. Surprised, but not off-guard – the moment he saw the tell-tale blur of Shunpo, he switched from Blut Arterie to Blut Vene, and barely succeeded in blocking the blade swung at his neck.

This time it was Urahara's turn to be surprised, as a faint, ink-like pattern manifested under the Quincy's skin and blocked his attack. And like Quilge he was surprised, but not caught off-guard as he jumped back several meters and avoided the Quincy's counterattack.

"_What was that?_" he silently wondered. "_Was that hierro? No, it's not…it looks similar, but the pattern was __**beneath **__the skin. It's something else!_" Even as his scientist's mind worked on this new puzzle, an arm was rising and pointed palm-outwards at the Quincy. "Hadou number sixty-three…" he said. "...Raikouhou!"

An orb of yellow energy formed crackling in his outstretched palm and fired at the Quincy, who briefly had time to grimace before taking the beam at full strength. Urahara smiled…and then his eyes went wide as Quilge dove through the dust cloud, his sleeves shredded and burnt but otherwise unharmed. The Quincy's sabre swung at him and the former captain grimaced at the force of the strike, steadily being hammered back by the enemy's fierce counterattack.

"Is something wrong, Kisuke Urahara?" Quilge taunted. "Are you still surprised at the extent the Quincy have evolved in the centuries since you attempted to wipe us out? Don't be; as a scientist you should be well aware of the advantages of research and innovation. And unlike you Shinigami, we Quincy are more capable of change and adaptation."

"Tradition exists for a reason you know." Urahara said while locking blades with Quilge, his reiatsu flaring as he fought the Quincy to a standstill. "Cry, Benihime…!"

Bright red reiryoku flared and exploded, sending the Hunt Captain flying back. "Those same traditions will guarantee your defeat Shinigami." Quilge sneered as he landed hard but on his feet. Urahara cautiously closed to attack as reishi glowed and flared while gathering around the relatively unharmed Quincy…but both of them came to a standstill at the massive surge of reiatsu from nearby.

"What the…?" Urahara said in surprise, while Quilge could only swear at the familiar signatures.

"Damn…"

"Did you forget about us?" Franceska Mila Rose asked as she emerged in her Resurreccion form.

"Because we sure as hell haven't forgotten you…!" Emilou Apacci spat as she too appeared in her Resurreccion form.

"We underestimated you once." Cyan Sung-sun finished. "It won't happen again."

The three Arrancar grabbed their left arms, and as one tore them from their bodies before throwing them into the air. "Go Ayon!"

Quilge ground his teeth at the second and even more powerful surge of reiatsu.

_This could be troublesome._

* * *

A Soldat ran down the aisle and knelt down before the Emperor's throne. "Your Majesty…" he reported. "…we have received an emergency communication from the Jagd Armee in Hueco Mundo. The former Twelfth Division Captain Kisuke Urahara has entered Hueco Mundo and has engaged in combat Hunt Captain Quilge Opie. Furthermore Daten entries Orihime Inoue and Sado Yasutora have both been confirmed to have been in accompaniment."

The Emperor nodded in acknowledgement before sitting back on his throne. "The enemy has taken the initiative I see…" he wondered aloud. "…has any mention been made of one Uryuu Ishida?"

The Soldat blinked blankly before giving a reply. "No sir." The man said. "No mention of such a person has been made. Should we transmit an inquiry?"

"No, there's no need for that." The Emperor said before coming to another decision. "Issue a priority order to Quilge however: tie the enemy down in Hueco Mundo at all costs, but follow the general orders in the Daten."

"Yes Your Majesty!"

"Furthermore…" the Emperor continued. "…issue new orders across the Vandenreich: the invasion of the Soul Society is to begin immediately."

* * *

"Attention! Attention! This is a combat alert! All Stern Ritter are immediately ordered to assemble at the Gate of the Sun!"

* * *

A/N

I'm sure you people can read between the lines with the mention of Gremmy and reeducation in the same section. More on that and on Ichigo's loyalty to the Emperor will be given in the future.

Oh and Giselle will be a girl in this story. Kubo you bastard...

And I don't intend to follow canon with the Emperor apparently just in it for the evulz. Sure he'll still be something of a heartless bastard, but he has a goal in mind here, as evidenced by Ichigo's conversation with the Quincy girls.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

The Light of Destruction

Chapter 2

Multiple pillars of blazing reishi erupted across the Seireitei, throwing the Shinigami across the fortress-city into further confusion. Whether intentional or not, the timing of the Vandenreich attack was perfect. The Shinigami were only just beginning to prepare for war, leaving their backs wide open to their enemies.

_The closest an enemy is to defeat is when they are closest to victory with their lines extended and vulnerable to counterattack…and when they are preparing for battle when their soldiers are in no condition to fight._

Actually quite a few of the Stern Ritter found this means of opening the battle more than a bit overdramatic. After all they could just as easily appear from the shadows…but it did bring an advantage of its own.

For starters the arrogance of the Shinigami was such that they would never send their captains out first and prefer to let their seated officers and lieutenants take the front line to gauge the strength of the enemy attack. The reishi flares would serve as lures to the rank-and-file and their officers, allowing the Stern Ritter to mow them down wholesale.

Only then would the captains join the battle, by which point the Stern Ritter would have gotten the measure of their enemy and inflicted heavy losses on their army. And unlike the Shinigami who placed greater value on their captains over their rank-and-file, the Quincy – while considering the elite Stern Ritter as the hammerhead of their forces – knew that in a war it was the side with more and better boots on the ground who would ultimately claim victory.

And the Emperor was confident that the Soldat could easily outmatch the Gotei 13's foot soldiers and match the Royal Guard's foot soldiers, to say nothing of the elite Stern Ritter compared to the old-fashioned and tradition-bound captains.

"Anything yet…?" Ninth Division Lieutenant Shuuhei Hisagi shouted at the Twelfth Division specialist as the guard forces under his direct command surrounded one of the anomalies.

"I'm sorry sir, but the interference is such that…"

Hisagi cursed under his breath as the pillar continued to burn in front of them. "…wait…" the specialist said as the flare began to wane. "…the interference is clearing…reishi resonance and reiryoku frequency confirmed! It's a Quincy!"

"Stand your ground!" Hisagi shouted as he drew his sword and the flare burned out…and then he staggered back a few steps, blinking his eyes in surprise. "W-what…?"

Dimly he recognized the cloaked and hooded Quincy before him with a longbow in a ready position…but there was no arrow. Was he…shot? He remembered hearing from survivors of near-death experiences about strange sensations as a result…was it supposed to be like this?

Hisagi fell to his knees and forward onto the ground, a bloody hole blown clean through his torso. "Lieutenant Hisagi…!" one of the seated officers behind him shouted in alarm.

"Bastard…!"

"It's an enemy! Release our shikai!"

The three seated officers drew their swords and opened their mouths to release their blades…and then gore and headless corpses were flying back to the horror of the Shinigami rank-and-file behind them. Ichigo dismissed his bow and strode forward while palming his Quincy Cross again and bringing out his arming sword.

"That…that's as far as you go…Quincy…" Hisagi gasped from behind him, and Ichigo turned to see Hisagi struggling to his feet with his sword held weakly in one hand and with the other hand clutching at the bleeding hole in his torso. His face was set with determination.

_Brave but foolish…if you'd stayed down, you might have lived longer at least until the next phase of the invasion begins. Well if you want to die…_

Spirit-forged steel flashed and Hisagi's head fell along with sparkling shards from the Shinigami's zanpakutou, and Ichigo turned to see the broken soldiers of the Gotei 13 break and flee. "Sorry…" he said while switching back to his bow. "…but His Majesty ordered us to kill all of you. Run while you can…for all the good it will do you in the end."

Heilig pfeil flew through the air, and screams echoed across the bloody streets.

* * *

The Shinigami couldn't even scream as he was torn apart by a pair of metallic claws. Many of the other Shinigami broke and fled, but others held their ground and charged with angry shouts to avenge their fallen comrades.

The Stern Ritter 'I' the Iron Cang Du didn't let any expression show on his face as he tore through the enemy without mercy. Unlike most of his fellow Quincy, Cang Du didn't have any real hatred for either Shinigami or Hollow. As far as he was concerned, he could care less about what the enemy was, just that their deaths were commanded by the Emperor.

_The Emperor points and we obey, as is our duty to His Majesty and the Empire._

Another Shinigami died by his claws, and the rest broke and fled save for one. Brave…he could respect that. The man shouted at his comrades – shaking as he desperately fought his fear and terror – to stand their ground and fulfill their duty as members of Thirteenth Division.

_A man of honor…a worthy foe then…_

Cang Du took a step forward with his claws raised to strike…and then he paused as he sensed the approach of another, more powerful foe. "_A captain…?_" he thought to himself. "_No…it's close but not quite there yet. A borderline captain…most likely one of the more formidable lieutenants._"

"Step back soldier." A petite woman with short black hair ordered the trembling Shinigami, her released sword held in a low guard.

"Lieutenant Kuchiki!"

_Ah…Rukia Kuchiki, younger sister to Sixth Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and the lieutenant for the Thirteenth Division. She has no bankai, but her skills with swordsmanship and kidou are all above average._

"This enemy is not someone on your level can fight against." She said, and the Shinigami opened his mouth to protest.

"You should listen to your superior, Shinigami." Cang Du said in his low voice much to their surprise. "Earlier you were going about your duty weren't you? If so, then is it not your duty to obey an order from a superior officer?"

The man blinked at Rukia who nodded at him before he retreated. "I must say I am surprised about your restraint just now…" Rukia said as the man ran off, under no illusion that the Quincy could kill her subordinate the moment his back was turned. "…however I must also express my gratitude."

"It is accepted." Cang Du returned as his body tensed. "I am the Stern Ritter 'I' the Iron Cang Du – those that live together should die together. That is the code I live by, and therefore I can respect those who live by comparable codes."

Rukia tilted her head questioningly but kept her guard up. Cang Du's respect for her rose just a bit higher. "According to your code…" she began. "…those that live together should die together. And yet despite being an enemy you allowed my subordinate to escape."

"This battle is between comparable foes." Cang Du answered. "I can always catch up with him later, when I have paid my respects to one of your not-insignificant standing. It's all the same in the end."

"I see…" Rukia said as her eyes narrowed. "…then there's no real point in putting this off any longer, is there?"

"Indeed…" Cang Du whispered…and then Rukia's eyes went wide as the Stern Ritter blurred with hirenkyaku's speed. Metal claws swung towards her head, and the petite Shinigami found herself being hard-pressed and being driven back by the Quincy's fast and brutal assault.

"_Impressive defense…_" Cang Du silently praised his opponent. "_...how's her offense?_"

Curious despite himself, he allowed a gap to open in his offense and as expected the lieutenant caught it and launched a counterattack, swinging her blade at his neck. "_Fast…!_" he thought, catching her blade with a raised claw. "_But her defense is left open in the process!_"

Cang Du's other claw swung at her neck, and Rukia disengaged immediately, jumping back using shunpo but keeping her blade pointed at him. "San no mai…" she said, her reiatsu spiking. "…Shirafune!"

This time it was Cang Du's turn to be surprised as a lance of ice encased her blade and shot out towards him at lightning speed. The Stern Ritter side-stepped and shattered the lance with a single blow, but the time it took for him to switch back to offense from defense was enough for Rukia to follow-through. "Tsugi no mai…" she said while stabbing the ground around her before taking a new stance. "…Hakuren!"

Cang Du cursed, shocked out of his usual stoicism. This foe was proving more formidable than he expected. He gave way before the avalanche of freezing air, buying time to point his hands towards his enemy and place his claws on top of and opposite each other. "She Jin Zhao…!" he shouted.

A serpent head-shaped blast of energy erupted between his claws and slammed into Rukia's attack, overpowering it and striking the Shinigami and sending her flying as the resulting explosion reduced the surrounding blocks of the Seireitei into rubble. "Well fought lieutenant…" Cang Du congratulated her as he surveyed the devastation and felt her presence wane into insignificance. "…you have forced me to fight seriously, if only for a moment. This Stern Ritter extends his respect."

* * *

"Burner Finger One!" the Stern Ritter 'H' the Heat Bazz-B said loudly while pointing his finger at his opponent. Hitsugaya dodged the laser-like beam of compressed flame, instinctively sensing the danger. His lieutenant however was not so lucky, the blonde woman screaming as the beam blew an arm off.

"Matsumoto…!" he shouted in concern before glaring at Bazz-B. "Damn you…!"

Bazz-B smirked as the ice dragon from the captain's sword dove at him. He easily dodged it…and was impressed when it moved to follow him up into the air. Supported by hirenkyaku he lashed out with a leg and blew the dragon to bits with an intense blast of flame. He pointed his finger again and fired.

Hitsugaya dodged again and risked a glance at his lieutenant. "Matsumoto…" he asked her as she slumped against a nearby wall. "…are you all right?"

"I-I'll be fine…"

"Damn Quincy…"

"Before blaming me…" Bazz-B replied while rolling his eyes. "…why don't you ask yourself why you dodged when you knew your lieutenant couldn't?"

"What…you're blaming me?"

"Well you're a captain aren't you?" Bazz-B said with a smile and in all seriousness. "Surely you know your subordinates limits better than this!"

Hitsugaya just made an incoherent sound of anger before swinging his sword again, multiple ice dragons erupting from Hyourinmaru's blade and diving towards Bazz-B. The Stern Ritter cackled madly as he stamped hard on the ground with a foot and unleashing a firestorm that destroyed the dragons on impact. "I can do that too!" Bazz-B barked eagerly as he gestured with his arms, unleashing twisted torrents of flame that lashed out at Hitsugaya and Matsumoto.

The Shinigami evaded using shunpo, but Bazz-B already had his crossbow in his hand and tracked Hitsugaya with his eyes. "Dance boy…" he shouted as he pulled the trigger. "…dance!"

Hitsugaya cursed as he narrowly avoided the fiery heilig pfeil, which blew the building behind him into rubble. "Is this the best you have, captain?" Bazz-B taunted. "Honestly…you may have bankai, but if this is all you've got then you shouldn't be a captain! I'm not even serious yet!"

Hitsugaya arrived near Matsumoto and held his sword up in a defensive position as Bazz-B followed, landing some distance in front of them. Bazz-B smiled grimly as he felt Hitsugaya's reiatsu build. "Are you sure you want to use bankai kid?" he asked.

"Matsumoto…" Hitsugaya said softly. "…I'm going to use bankai. He'll probably seal it, but when he does keep your eyes open for any indication of how they do it and how it can be broken. Got it?"

Tenth Division Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto nodded, thankful that the heat of their enemy's attack had also cauterized her injuries. "Be careful captain." She said, and Hitsugaya briefly smiled before his face turned stern once more.

"Bankai…" he said as his reiatsu flared. "…Daiguren Hyourinmaru!" Bazz-B smirked and brought out his medallion, and Hitsugaya's eyes widened as his bankai disintegrated and was pulled into the medallion leaving nothing behind save for a profound sense of loss.

"Hyourinmaru…! Answer me, Hyourinmaru!"

* * *

Sixth Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai snarled as the cloaked and hooded Quincy repeatedly parried his attacks. Renji and three squads under his command had moved to staunch the collapse of the Ninth Division troops to the flank of the Sixth Division's area of responsibility…only for the troops and seated officers under his direct command to be slaughtered by a deadly volley of arrows from the same enemy in front of him.

Twice Zabimaru lashed out, and twice the Quincy blocked it. Renji pulled his sword back, and once again the enemy refused to take advantage, holding his ground with an air of relaxed indifference.

_Smug bastard…_

"What's wrong?" Renji taunted as he launched yet another series of attacks. "Aren't confident at close quarters Quincy?"

"If you insist…" the Quincy responded in a terrifyingly familiar voice as he dove forward onto the offensive, an arm raised to deflect Zabimaru's segmented blade to the side. The Quincy's sleeve tore from the impact, but the blade merely bounced off of the Quincy's skin with only an inky pattern beneath it to mark the point where the blade had failed to cause even the slightest damage.

The European-style blade stabbed towards Renji's face, and the Shinigami was forced back several steps while pulling Zabimaru along a fashion to drive the enemy to the side. The Quincy jumped up over the blade, and somersaulted back and causing his hood to fall behind him. Renji's eyes could only widen in shock at the sight of the Quincy's face. "Ichigo…?" he gasped.

Ichigo responded by switching to his bow and firing a lethal volley of heilig pfeil at Renji, aiming for the stunned Shinigami's vital spots. All arrows would be deflected harmlessly to the sides as Byakuya arrived with the tell-tale blur of shunpo. "Ichigo Kurosaki…" he began. "…what's the meaning of this?"

"Hey there Byakuya…" Ichigo said with a sad smile. "…you're looking well."

"Answer my question."

"Well…" Ichigo said while switching back to his sword and holding it in one hand, and scratching the back of his head with his other hand. "…to use your own words from long ago: I have something to protect. I have other reasons, but that's the main one."

"I see…" Byakuya said…and then he blurred only for his blade to be blocked by Ichigo's own.

"You tried that trick before." Ichigo said neutrally. "I blocked it once before, when I was still a Shinigami whose power was a mere shadow of my current one." Steel flashed again, and again both blades clashed. Ichigo then took hold of his sword with both hands and threw Byakuya back before the captain could attempt a point-blank Kidou attack.

"Renji…" Byakuya said to his lieutenant. "…it would seem that Kurosaki is to be treated as a traitor."

"Captain…?"

"Such is the reality of war…" Byakuya said, a brief lowering of his eyelids the only concession to emotion. "…and like the rest of his fellow Quincy rebels, it would seem that he is an enemy that cannot be defeated without bankai."

"Captain…!"

"When he seals my bankai…" Byakuya said. "…activate your own bankai, and use it to defeat him and force from him the secrets behind how they seal bankai."

Without another word Byakuya raised his sword and inverted it before letting it drop point-first to the ground. "Bankai…" he said. "…Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

Ichigo smiled nostalgically as he pulled out his medallion and Byakuya's sword sank into the ground like it was water. Their surroundings darkened as hundreds of blades rose to their flanks…and then Byakuya's eyes went wide with shock as his bankai disintegrated and the fragments were sucked into Ichigo's medallion. "This is not a seal!" he said in horrified realization. "My bankai…was stolen from me!"

* * *

"Tetsuzaemon...!" Seventh Division Captain Sajin Komamura shouted to his lieutenant. "Inform the other captains: the enemy doesn't seal bankai, they steal them! Hurry…!"

"Yes captain!" Seventh Division Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba said as he ran to fulfill his captain's orders.

_If only he could use Kidou…_

"And where do you think you're going, lieutenant?" Bambietta shouted while firing bombs into his general area, the explosions erupting around the Shinigami who went down with a cry of pain.

"Damn Quincy…!" Komamura roared as he swung his sword at Bambietta. The adolescent girl smirked as she deflected the sword to the side, and fired a bomb at point-blank range that sent Komamura staggering back. She raised an eyebrow at the fact that he only seemed to suffer superficial injuries, even if the same could not be said for his chest armor.

"Tough aren't you?" she remarked. "Well it isn't my power, but I suppose there's a delicious irony in using your greatest power against you. Let's try it out shall we? Bankai: Kokujou Tengen Myou-ou!"

* * *

Apacci smugly walked up to Quilge's apparent corpse where it lay half-buried in the sands of Hueco Mundo. "Not so smug now are you, Quincy?" she gloated.

Steel flashed and stabbed the Arrancar through the chest, and the blade twisted before ripping out sideways through the female Arrancar's body. As Apacci fell dead to the ground, Quilge shakily rose to his feet, but his eyes were alert.

"Apacci…!" Franceska and Sung-sun shouted in horror.

"Well that was enlightening." Quilge said while cracking his neck and wiping the blood from his mouth as the ink-like patterns of Blut Vene disappeared with his injuries. "I must admit that I never imagined mere Arrancar to be this strong. It seems that I must really go all out on you people."

In an eye-blink Urahara had drawn his sword and was charging forward, instinct warning him that letting the Quincy finish what he was planning would be disastrous. Too late; Quilge dismissed his sabre and raising his hand, removed his sanrei glove.

The resulting flare of reishi lit the desert for miles around, the glowing pillar stabbing high into the sky before terminating into an ominous Quincy Cross. "Get back all of you!" Urahara shouted as the pillar flared out and exposed the Hunt Captain's altered and seemingly-angelic form. "This is the ultimate Quincy technique, Letzt Stil! It rivals a Shinigami's bankai, so don't…!"

"Letzt Stil…?" Quilge echoed with a tone of offense. "No Kisuke Urahara, Letzt Stil is an outdated and obsolete form. This is the result of centuries of research, innovation, and improvement – Quincy: Vollstandig. The difference between this technique and Letzt Stil is as great as the distance between heaven and earth."

Quilge paused and chuckled. "Do not lament your ignorance, Kisuke Urahara." He continued. "It is only natural considering that your only contact with the Quincy was probably Souken Ishida and his descendants, the men who denied the Quincy's evolution."

Quilge paused, and then split Ayon in half as the giant attempted to attack him from behind with a roar. "I won't let you get up this time." He said scornfully as he raised his sabre, reishi flaring brightly as it gathered at the point and with a massive explosion blew Ayon and Apacci to dust.

"NO!" Franceska and Sung-sun screamed before wildly charging to attack.

"Wait…!" Urahara shouted to no avail, as both women were quickly cut down by Quilge. And then his eyes went wide as Quilge's blade sank through his chest and into his heart.

"You are too dangerous to let live." Quilge said. "You are after all a former captain." As he pulled his sword out, he blurred with hirenkyaku and cut Chad's right arm off as the adolescent moved to attack. "Stay down if you please. I'd rather not hurt you too much lest I displease His Majesty by taking too much liberty with the Daten's general orders."

"Sado-kun…!" Orihime shouted as she ran towards her friend. "Souten Kisshun!"

Quilge turned away from the fallen boy as the girl arrived and began to patch him up: they were of no further threat to him, and it seemed that amazingly enough the two Arrancar females were still alive.

_Impressive…they may be of use to His Majesty after all._

A sudden surge of reiatsu drew his attention, and the Quincy glanced to the side sharply as a blazing beam of red blindsided him. "Really now…" a certain Arrancar complained while cracking his neck as he walked over a dune in the distance. "…can't a guy get some sleep around here?"

* * *

A/N

Match-ups for this chapter: Cang Du vs Rukia Kuchiki…winner: Cang Du

Bazz-B vs Toushiro Hitsugaya…winner: pending

Ichigo Kurosaki vs Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai…winner: pending

Bambietta Basterbine vs Sajin Komamura…winner: pending

Apacci is dead, and so is Ayon (since without Apacci neither Franceska nor Sung-sun can summon it again). Do you really think Urahara will die?

Take a wild guess as to which Arrancar it is…


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

The Light of Destruction

Chapter 3

"Urahara-san…!" Orihime shouted in concern while healing Chad's right arm, only to be waved off by the injured Shinigami.

"I'm fine…I think…" he said while struggling to heal his injuries. In the distance massive explosions erupted across the desert as Quilge continued to fight the newly-arrived Arrancar. "…still, I really wish I knew who our 'savior' is."

"It's probably the Sexta Espada…" Franceska gasped out as she and Sung-sun helped each other towards a nearby pile of rubble. "…we suspected Grimmjow-sama to be alive, but not even Harribel-sama was certain of it."

"An Espada huh…?" Urahara said half-jokingly. "That's a relief he just might be able to beat that Quincy. But what happens afterwards?"

"That…" Sung-sun answered hesitantly. "…could be a problem."

"Just die already, Espada!" Quilge shouted in frustration as another set of arrows missed the Arrancar, instead harmlessly blowing craters into the desert.

"You die first weirdo." Grimmjow retorted with surprising calm before appearing in front of Quilge with the boom of sonido. Spirit weapon clashed against zanpakutou, and then Quilge was on the defensive as Grimmjow launched a vicious offensive.

"_What's with this speed?_" the Hunt Captain thought worriedly. "_He's fast, even for an Espada! And that swordsmanship – it's crude and unpredictable, and yet he can match me blow for blow despite only using one hand. I don't dare use Blut Arterie in this situation, but without it I don't have a guarantee of piercing his hierro!_"

The two blades locked in stalemate, only for Grimmjow to smile his usual bloodthirsty smirk. Quilge's eyes widened as blazing blue reiryoku erupted around the Arrancar, allowing him to push the Quincy's sword down and to the side. As fast as lightning Grimmjow clenched his free hand and punched Quilge in the face, sending him flying. "You took a Cero without damage once…" he snarled as he charged another beam. "…let's see if you can pull it off twice."

The ravening beam of energy hit the Quincy head-on, and Grimmjow smirked as he felt a shift in energy mere moments before a moderately-injured Quilge took to the skies on his wings. "So I can break through your skin after all." He commented.

"You are an eyesore!" Quilge roared as he raised his sword, reishi gathering actively around him and collecting at the point of his sword augmented with all the power of his Blut Arterie.

"You got guts weirdo!" Grimmjow said viciously before cutting his own hand and mixed his blood with his reiryoku to create an explosive mix. "I like it!"

"Vanish!"

"Gran Rey Cero…!"

The blinding beam of white light from Quilge met the royal blue of Grimmjow's Gran Rey Cero, sending brutal shock waves to devastate the surrounding landscape and sending the injured Urahara, Orihime, Chad, and the remaining Arrancar in the vicinity to take cover amidst Las Noches' ruins.

The two attacks seemed equal at first, but ultimately it was Quilge who smirked in triumph as Grimmjow's face took on an expression of alarm and surprise as the Gran Rey Cero was overpowered and Quilge's attack hit the Arrancar with a resounding explosion.

"Grimmjow-san…!" Orihime shouted as Quilge's low, satisfied laughter echoed across the battlefield.

"No way…" Franceska whispered in shock. "…I mean even Harribel-sama was defeated…but…"

"That was the enemy leader…" Sung-sun followed through, her voice heavy with despair. "…he…he's just an underling…this is…"

Urahara and Chad were silent, but from Urahara's eyes it was clear the Shinigami still believed the battle's outcome to still be up in the air. "Do you regret your impudence now, Arrancar?" Quilge taunted as he slowly flew down to the edge of the crater. "This is the difference between us. Compared to the power given to us by His Majesty, the power you possess is like comparing an ant's bite to a hurricane."

"No shit genius." Grimmjow said, and Quilge's eyes went wide in shock before the Arrancar punched him in the face and sent him flying. Most of his clothes had been burnt off, his hair was singed and his skin was covered with burns, but he didn't look all that much worse for wear. "Compared to that backstabbing Nnoitra, or even that punk Kurosaki, you fight like a girl!"

Quilge managed to arrest his distance eventually thanks to his wings, but before he could do much more Grimmjow had already caught up, leaving his sword behind in the crater and preferring to let his fists do the talking. A punch to the gut doubled Quilge over, blood erupting from his mouth, before Grimmjow braced himself and kicked Quilge high into the air.

"Big mistake…!" the Quincy spat, and then his eyes widened as he felt Grimmjow behind him.

_Impossible!_

Another kick again savaged the Quincy's battered body, sending it flying down to the ground with bone-breaking force. With a bloodthirsty yell, Grimmjow combined free fall and sonido to land a truly brutal blow on Quilge's chest, bone and organs collapsing with a sickening crunch on impact as a crater violently exploded into being around them from the displaced earth and air.

Not finished, the Arrancar grabbed the Quincy by the throat and lifting him up trailing the shattered fragments of his Vollstandig, charged another Cero. "You're right." Grimmjow said. "There is a difference between us. Except that you're the ant, and I'm the hurricane."

With a bloodthirsty grin, Grimmjow pushed his hand against Quilge's chest and fired his Cero at point-blank range, blowing a hole through the Quincy's body.

"…amazing…" Franceska said in awe and not a little admiration. "…and so brutal…"

"…as should be expected from Grimmjow-sama…" Sung-sun agreed and beginning to sound like her usual self. "…don't let your instincts get to you too much Franceska. He might be an alpha, but we're already sworn to Harribel-sama's service."

"…w-what is that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means."

"Why you slimy snake…!"

"Why thank you, I am very flattered."

The boom of sonido announced Grimmjow's arrival, and with his sword held ready albeit relaxed. "Hey there punks…" he said, sounding bored by his apparent 'discovery'. "…and hello to you too princess…"

The Espada looked around him as though looking for someone and then scratched his head in puzzlement while everyone else looked on warily. "…so? Where's that punk Kurosaki?"

* * *

Zanpakutou clashed against spirit weapon, Ichigo letting Byakuya push him back with unusually angry and inelegant attacks. "What's wrong Captain Kuchiki?" he asked mockingly. "You're not doing so well."

"Silence traitor!" Byakuya said with uncharacteristic heat, and Ichigo let loose a laugh.

"What a wonderful reply." He said. "But you know what Byakuya, the more I think about, maybe Aizen was right all along."

"What did you say?"

Ichigo smirked before launching a counterattack, fighting Byakuya to a standstill with basic but solid attacks from a high guard that allowed him to switch between offense and defense as needed on a moment's notice. "I mean seriously, all it takes is one look at the stark difference between conditions in the Rukongai and the Seireitei, the difference in status between the so-called nobility and the common people…well you get the idea."

"Ichigo, are you insane?" Renji shouted aghast, and Ichigo simply rolled his eyes before throwing Byakuya back with a two-handed blow.

"Heilig Waffenkammer…" he said while swinging his sword before him in an arc. "…Verraterische Schwerter!"

Glowing blades of pure light coalesced out of reishi in the wake of his sword, and lanced towards Byakuya with lightning speed. The Shinigami parried them all, only to be pressed hard by a fast and brutal assault from the Stern Ritter. "No Renji…" Ichigo said with unusual calm. "…I'm not insane. I am a traitor to you guys, but I'm still who I am. I mean seriously, corruption and inequality are inevitable with regards to society living or otherwise, but the Soul Society has done nothing to change things for the better for over a thousand years, and any change seems very unlikely in the near future or at all. If change is needed but can't be done in the system, then we'll just have to force it to change."

"So you're going to follow in Aizen's footsteps?" Renji shouted again, only to be silenced by a flare of reiryoku from Byakuya who began to glow in wrath.

"Enough Renji…" Byakuya said with his usual calm and causing Ichigo to smile with anticipation. "…no more talk. I will crush this traitor who dares walk over everything we hold dear, and made as nothing every honor and ounce of respect he has earned."

"Oh so you're finally in the mood." Ichigo said before blurring away with hirenkyaku. "But you have to catch me first."

"You won't escape."

Ichigo laughed as he felt Byakuya pursue him over the skyline of the Seireitei, and then sobered as he felt his fellow Stern Ritter stomping through the opposition across the fortress-city. It was time he took this seriously. The consequences of failing the high expectations placed on him were bad enough, but losing his first and probably the only chance of earning the respect and acceptance of the Echt Quincy that made up the Vandenreich was even worse.

_Let's finish this._

"Heilig Waffenkammer…" he shouted while holding out a hand before him. "…Stahl Regen!"

Reishi surged and flowed, forging hundreds of swords in mid-air pointing at Ichigo and Byakuya. As Ichigo passed the curtain of steel, he made a gesture with his sword, and the newly-forged weapons rained down on Byakuya.

_That should buy me some time._

The Stern Ritter continued to jump over the rooftops until he finally found a large and empty area. "Perfect…" he said while turning his body and swinging his sword simultaneously. The spirit weapon parried Byakuya's attack, but with Blut Arterie active also sent the captain flying back a good distance. "…an attack from the back…oh that's right, you were Yoruichi-san's student once…sorry, but it was nice knowing you…I think."

Byakuya's eyes widened as Ichigo brought out the medallion that had stolen his bankai and raised it into the air. "Bankai…" Ichigo said with a resolute expression on his face. "…Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

Byakuya blurred, attempting to close and cut Ichigo down before he could unleash the full power of his stolen Bankai, only to be hammered by the countless, razor-sharp petals of Senbonzakura. There was no elegance in the pink waves, merely a brutal and merciless resolve to crush the enemy with the sheer overwhelming power of bankai.

Ichigo laughed. "If Haschwalth were here…" he said while continuing to assault Byakuya from multiple directions. "…he'd probably say something extremely philosophical. Smug bastard…he's just like Ishida in many ways. I wonder if they're related…anyway I suppose there is something philosophical about getting killed by your own bankai, isn't there?"

"ICHIGO…!" Renji shouted as he leaped over the rooftops, only to be thrown aside and through a wall by a flowing wave of pink.

"Stay down Renji." Ichigo said harshly before doubling the assault on Byakuya, and driving the captain into a nearby wall. Trickles of blood began to run down from the crater and pool on the ground below, and still the pink tide of death continued to flow. "I'm sorry, but this has to be done. This just isn't about me…just as you have things and people to protect, so do I. And I'll be damned if I let them die because of me!"

Elsewhere the throbbing and waning presence of Byakuya's reiatsu stirred a Shinigami from unconsciousness, and Rukia pulled herself free from a pile and rubble. Bleeding heavily from a torso wound caused by being impaled through a sharp and pointed piece of debris, she staggered towards her brother's general location while using Sode no Shirayuki as a cane. "Nii-sama…" she managed to gasp out before blood loss forced her unconscious and she collapsed onto the ground.

"Stop it…Ichigo…stop!" Renji spat out, as he pulled himself clear of the ruins. Ichigo ignored him, and continued to brutally assault his enemy. Roaring in rage and betrayal, Renji forced himself to his feet, and with his reiatsu building charged at Ichigo with Zangetsu held high and to the side. "You…you…a traitor doesn't have the right to use Senbonzakura!" he shouted. "Ban…!"

As he was about to release his bankai, another Quincy arrived in a blur of hirenkyaku and blindsided Renji. The force of the blow shattered Zabimura's blade and sent the Shinigami flying though several blocks of the Seireitei before his unconscious and critically-injured form was buried beneath the ruins of another building.

"That was close Mr. Ichigo!" the Stern Ritter 'S' the Superstar Mask de Masculine said cheerfully as he struck a victory pose behind Ichigo who had halted his onslaught. "You should watch your back, but not to worry! I have succeeded in foiling the villain's cowardly attempt to attack you unfairly in battle!"

"Mask…" Ichigo said in exasperation. "…I don't want to sound ungrateful, but couldn't you have waited for another moment? He was about to use his bankai, and you could have stolen it."

"Huh? I thought only captains had bankai."

"Did you even read the same Daten as the rest of us?"

As the two Stern Ritter continued their good-natured bickering, the dying Byakuya's thoughts were on his lieutenant and stepsister. "Rukia…" he whispered, Senbonzakura falling from limp fingers to shatter on impact with the bloody ground. "…Renji…I'm sorry…"

The sound of steel breaking caught the Stern Ritter's attention, but the two of them calmed down as they felt Byakuya's reiatsu vanish with his death. Ichigo briefly closed his eyes in respect before lifting a pair of fingers to his lips. "Heilig Ritus…" he said solemnly before pointing the fingers at Byakuya's body. "…Krieger Scheiterhaufen."

Glowing blue flame leapt from Ichigo's fingers and began to hungrily consume Byakuya's body, only for both Stern Ritter to turn their backs and continue on their way.

* * *

_Weaklings…_

That was what the Emperor Yhwach thought as another one of his heilig pfeil tore apart another guard in the Central Underground Prison. Compared to the Shinigami during the first war a thousand years ago, and then the Quincy Genocide centuries ago, the Shinigami of today were as nothing.

Granted these were mere rank-and-file, but still: the rank-and-file of a thousand years ago would have lasted a few moments longer, if only because they weren't so stupid as to charge in from the front without thinking of dodging.

_Of course given that they've had centuries of peace to soften while we strengthened ourselves, it's to be expected. I won't let the Shinigami gain the same chance we have now._

Another heilig pfeil flashed and the last of the guards was blown apart, and then Yhwach was pushing open the doors leading into Muken, the eighth and lowest level of the Central Underground Prison. Reaching out with his senses, the Emperor isolated the lone occupant of the level, and quietly made his towards him.

There were precious few in the current roster of Shinigami who he respected to the same degree as their predecessors. The Captain-Commander was most definitely **not** one of those, as he had gone soft in his senility. One of those was sitting before him, even as he unbound the man's eyes and mouth. There was no surprise at all, and if anything the man almost seemed to be expecting him.

The Emperor smiled. He was everything he expected him to be, one of the few Shinigami who still held true to the power and terror once held by the Gotei 13.

"You have my thanks." The Special War Power Sousuke Aizen said to the Emperor. "And I must say that it is quite an honor to meet the King of the Quincy in person."

"It's Emperor now."

"Ah…please accept my apologies.

The Emperor waved it off. "It's of no concern." He said. "You couldn't have known."

"Indeed…"

"You know why I am here."

"...of course…" Aizen said with a nod. "…I would be insulting you if I could not even figure that out. You came here to recruit me, did you not?"

"Correct; I am offering you your freedom in exchange for joining my forces as a Special War Power."

"Well I am flattered, but I must decline for now. There are simply…too many variables at the moment for me to join you. However I will congratulate you on succeeding in getting Ichigo Kurosaki on your side."

The Emperor laughed. "I have my ways." He said.

"No doubt you do."

"No matter, I will have all the time to recruit you in the future. Come to think of it…your punishment is surprisingly cruel for the weakling Shinigami of this time and age."

Aizen shrugged. "I talked back to the Central 46 during sentencing." He said. "I told them how laughable the idea was that weaklings like them were judging someone of my level. As a result they ordered my eyes and mouth bound as well."

The Emperor laughed again. "It is indeed laughable." He agreed. "Was it worth it?"

"Of course it was. It just goes to show how insecure their power is, and how petty those so-called nobles are."

Conversation stilled as both men felt the Captain-Commander's reiatsu spike. He hadn't used bankai, but it was still a fearsome burst of power. "It would seem that someone has earned the Captain-Commander's wrath." Aizen observed wryly. "One of yours is dead. Please accept my condolences."

"Nonsense…" the Emperor waved it off. "…knowing Driscoll, he probably and unwisely provoked the old fool."

"Will you be leaving so soon?" Aizen asked curiously. "I confess that I am rather starved for conversation, if nothing else."

The Emperor shrugged. "I suppose I could spare a few more moments." He said. "Conversation with you is surprisingly beneficial, and would probably be even more so if not for the fact that your words are as deadly as any blade, and as a result would require me to keep my guard up."

Aizen laughed, completely agreeing with the Emperor's assessment of his character.

* * *

Ichigo unbuttoned his collar at the intense heat of the Captain-Commander's bankai, and briefly wondered if the Stern Ritter 'Y' the Yourself Royd Lloyd would survive the encounter. A flash of hirenkyaku had him on top of a nearby high building, and by straining his eyes he made out his quarry.

The Captain-Commander's entry onto the battlefield had encouraged the Shinigami to no end, and it seemed that even the weakest of them were now scurrying out of their hiding holes to enter the battlefield.

_Idiots…_

Ichigo summoned his bow and drawing on Blut Arterie's power began to snipe away, each of his heilig pfeil a certain kill through the head or the heart. He'd sniped well over half a hundred of his targets before they realized that their enemy was nowhere near and scattered.

_This is barely worth calling target practice._

Without a sign of concern he turned and shot an Onmitsukidou member trying to sneak up on him…and unfortunately the arrow demolished a critical support of the building which immediately began to totter and fall around him.

_Oh damn it…oh wait…I can use this._

Smirking despite himself, he continued to aim at the distant target, no longer at the scurrying Shinigami outside the main building but at the building wherein many more of them were hiding. The building continued to collapse, and Ichigo began to freefall…and giving him practice in aiming while in movement, reishi spiraling into his bow from his surroundings as he released his power.

The arrow was loosed, a streak of light across the sky and seriously damaging the distant structure and causing it to collapse in short order and entombing the Shinigami within. Ichigo sighed as his conscience caught up with him, but he shouldered it aside and blurred with hirenkyaku.

The building collapsed to the ground in a cloud of dust and rubble, and as they settled Ichigo reappeared and kicked over a stone before slouching down on it. "Hey Bambietta…" he said as he spotted her walking over while tossing one of her bombs on one hand.

"Hey Ichigo…" she returned the greeting. A moment later she tossed the bomb over a shoulder even as a pack of Shinigami arrived from around a corner, waving swords and shouting invectives at the Quincy…and were promptly blown to bits by Bambietta's bomb.

"...His Majesty is taking his time isn't he?" Ichigo asked as Bambietta sat down beside him.

"...he probably got caught up in a conversation with Aizen." She said. "Well they're both smart and charismatic, so it wouldn't be a surprise. This might take a while."

"I feel sorry for Lloyd."

"I don't. The guy's creepy as hell, and considering that we've been hanging out with Giselle that's saying something."

Ichigo laughed before opening one of his pockets and fishing out a pair of chocolate bars. "Here you go."

"Huh? Oh thanks…"

The two Stern Ritter ate in silence, Bambietta fanning herself with her cap. As they finished the oppressive heat of Yamamoto's bankai vanished, and rain immediately began to fall. Bambietta cursed as she and Ichigo pulled their hoods up. "...oh well…" she said. "…I guess that means Lloyd is dead. So sorry…especially since break time's over. See you Ichigo: I have to go and catch the doggie captain. He ran off once he felt the Captain-Commander's reiatsu, shouting something about 'Genryuusai-sama' or some other nonsense."

Ichigo laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like Komamura-san alright." He said…and then both Stern Ritter glanced sharply at the First Division Barracks as it was torn apart from the inside by a beam of light.

Bambietta smirked. "Chat time with Aizen is over too it seems." She said.

"Endgame…" Ichigo agreed laconically.

* * *

A/N

I hope that Grimmjow vs Quilge was fair for both sides, as were the conversations between Yhwach and Aizen, and Byakuya and Ichigo. More on the Vandenreich's goals will be revealed in the future.

Rukia is alive, as are Renji and Urahara. Still not sure about Hitsugaya though…lol. I probably won't kill him though, if only because the idea of him being a 'doll' for Giselle tickles me so.

…evil laughter…

Ichigo's techniques in this chapter in order are: Holy Armory: Swords of Revealing Light, Holy Armory: Steel Rain, and Sacred Rite: Warrior's Pyre.

The updates will be rather fast this early, though it'll probably get slower once we get after the invasion and Uryuu joins the Vandenreich.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

The Light of Destruction

Chapter 4

"Old man Yama!" Kyouraku shouted in despair and horror at the abrupt disappearance of the Captain-Commander's reiatsu. His opponent's guard down, the Stern Ritter 'N' Robert Accutrone immediately capitalized on the opportunity, and proceeded to gun the distracted Shinigami down.

"I told you, didn't I?" he said mockingly as he approached the mortally-wounded Shinigami as he lay slumped against a nearby wall, blood pooling beneath him. Accutrone raised his pistol and pointed it at Kyouraku's head. "Our leader would defeat your leader."

The Stern Ritter pulled the trigger, and the captain's body jerked once before lying still as fragments of bone and bloody bits of flesh further smeared the wall behind it. Accutrone looked up at the sky, and waited patiently. With the Captain-Commander dead, the way was open for the next stage of the invasion. All that was needed was the word from the Grand Master and by extension the Emperor.

_He didn't have to wait long._

"_His Majesty has defeated the Captain-Commander._" The Grand Master's words echoed in his head. "_All Stern Ritter are immediately ordered to commence the invasion of the Soul Society._"

In one smooth move, Accutrone sank to a knee and planted a hand with his fingers wide on his shadow. He swung his arm out, and his shadow followed and extended up and outwards along the ground, wall, and into the air in the form of a six-pointed cross. "Advance…" he barked. "…Soldat!"

Heavy, synchronized boots slammed onto the ground in response, the masked and white-uniformed Quincy foot soldiers finally able to engage their hated enemies on their own soil. Accutrone straightened, and followed the Soldat under his command as they fanned out, killing any and all Shinigami in their path and burning and tearing down all of the buildings around them.

All across the Seireitei he could feel his fellow Stern Ritter doing likewise, pinning down the hard-pressed captains while allowing the Soldat to butcher the broken and demoralized Shinigami rank-and-file. He allowed himself a smile…and then it vanished as his eyes went wide at the sudden eruption of Hollow reiatsu across the Seireitei.

Stern Ritter and Soldat alike staggered to a halt and fixed their eyes on the skies above as multiple Garganta ripped open and vomited out countless Hollows followed by the towering giants of the Menos.

_What's going on here?_

* * *

"It seems that Quilge has failed." Haschwalth observed.

"It's possible…" the Emperor mused. "…or more likely he encountered something completely unexpected. Perhaps one of the unaccounted Espada…"

"What do we do, Your Majesty?" Haschwalth asked as the Emperor's voice trailed off. The Emperor made to reply only to fall silent in surprise as they felt powerful surges of reiatsu mere moments before a wall of pink death overwhelmed hundreds of Hollows and swallowed entire Menos whole. At the same time an armored giant began laying into other Menos drawn by the death of their fellows.

The Emperor laughed in indulgent approval at his descendants' enthusiasm before reaching out with his senses. "…Kurosaki…" he said with evident approval. "…I see. So he killed Byakuya Kuchiki. This should put to rest any further question of his loyalty."

Haschwalth nodded, and watched along with the Emperor as a pair of glowing reishi pillars terminating in Quincy Crosses lanced into the sky. The Grand Master narrowed his eyes and barely made out Mask as he struck a theatrical pose in the air before going hand-to-hand with the Shinigami's most unexpected reinforcements. At the same time he noted Accutrone as the aging Stern Ritter followed Mask's lead and took to the sky, and began racking up kills with his pistols like someone at a country fair.

"I suppose we allow the Stern Ritter and the Soldat to indulge themselves then?" he finally asked and the Emperor nodded.

"We still have some time, so it should be no problem." He said even as silver flashes flickered across the battlefield as Soldat squads used combined volleys of heilig pfeil to deal with airborne Hollows even as yet others focused on the ground battle. "Instruct the Soldat to cover each other, and to adapt to the situation as necessary."

"It will be done Your Majesty."

The Emperor blinked, and then he turned to look at Haschwalth. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Please accept my apologies. However I was just concerned about the possibility of the arrival of the Zero Division in the midst of the current situation."

The Emperor scoffed. "Ichibee and his bunch of misfits won't lower themselves so long as the Soul Society has the smallest chance of survival on its own." He said contemptuously. "Their arrogance is as predictable as the dawn, or Shigekuni Yamamoto's tendency to allow his emotions to get the better of him."

"Yes Your Majesty." Haschwalth deferred with a bow.

* * *

Ichigo swung his medallion in an arc, the waves of Senbonzakura's petals following in its wake and sending Grimmjow flying though several blocks of Seireitei's ruins with a shout of pain. Simultaneously the Stern Ritter's sword rose and blocked Urahara's zanpakutou as it swung towards his neck.

"Well blocked Kurosaki-san…" Urahara said jovially as he sprang back. "…your skills have improved."

Ichigo turned and adopted a defensive stance. Urahara whistled and then charged to attack, using shunpo and his skills with the blade to attack Ichigo from multiple angles with fast but equally-powerful attacks. Ichigo retained his stoicism as he gave ground, and Urahara's smile quickly became fixed as he realized that his enemy didn't seem to be giving his all.

The instant this thought occurred to him Ichigo abruptly launched a counterattack, his Blut Arterie-powered riposte hurling Urahara back several meters. He grimaced as he felt the shift in reishi and reiatsu, and used Benihime's shield to counter a mass volley of heilig pfeil from three newly-arrived squads of Soldat.

That same shield would prove all but meaningless against Bambietta's bombs however, a single bomb shattering it, and the second's blast was barely avoided by the Shinigami. "Is that who I think it is?" she asked.

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah…" he replied. "…it's Kisuke Urahara, the man who sealed Aizen and is probably the greatest mind the Shinigami have at their disposal. It's quite a wonder that he hasn't been promoted to the Zero Division yet."

"That's quite flattering of you Kurosaki-san." Urahara said as he nimbly leapt over the ruins as rain began to fall, and stared off with the two Stern Ritter and their Soldat. Bambietta just rolled her eyes before pulling out her medallion.

"Shall we take care of him then?" she asked.

Ichigo nodded again and also pulled out his medallion. "It certainly looks that way doesn't it?" he asked, and Urahara's eyes narrowed. The combatants tensed…and then the Shinigami's eyes widened as shadows bled from the Quincy's bodies.

Bambietta made a sound of disgust. "Time's up…" she said even as the Soldat opened a shadow portal behind them. "…let's go home Ichigo."

Ichigo nodded and began to walk away. "Wait…!" Urahara shouted only to be interrupted by the boom of sonido and the flare of reiatsu from an enraged Arrancar.

"**KUROSAKI…!**" Grimmjow shouted as he charged Ichigo, his forearms bloody where Senbonzakura had torn his hierro and his sword held high. Steel flashed and Grimmjow tumbled across the ground, his zanpakutou broken and its pieces scattered across the ground.

Ichigo coolly regarded the defeated Arrancar, and along with Bambietta vanished into the shadows.

* * *

Rain continued to fall, as though the very sky wept at the devastation of the Seireitei. It doused the flames of buildings set on fire by the Quincy, and washed the blood from the streets. It was cold comfort for those who were left.

The Fourth Division Barracks and its adjoining medical facilities were a hive of activity, as not just the dedicated healers of the Fourth Division but also any and all Shinigami with skill in healing struggled to assist the large numbers of wounded and injured being brought in.

_Thankfully the Fourth Division had not suffered any losses in the fighting otherwise the task might have been impossible to carry out._

Urahara walked towards a quiet corner and past the beds where bandaged and exhausted Shinigami lay, and stared out of a window at the rain falling outside and over the smoking ruins of the Seireitei. "Tired…?" Fifth Division Captain Shinji Hirako asked.

"It's war." Urahara simply replied, and Shinji made a sound of assent.

"True…" he said before leaning against a nearby wall. "…but who would have expected that the Quincy would ever return, or for that matter would become so much stronger than they were in the past."

"Yhwach's descendants were always more adaptable than we are." Urahara said. "There are reasons behind our traditions, but they are both strength and weakness in equal measure. Whereas the Quincy's adaptability is strength all throughout…as for Yhwach…"

Urahara paused and Shinji raised an eyebrow. "Go on…" he urged.

"…there's a story I heard long ago from the Quincy." Urahara continued. "It's called the Kaiser Gesang, and it prophesied the eventual return of the Quincy King sealed away centuries ago."

"...Yhwach…"

Urahara nodded. "Of course it being a Quincy prophecy we never took it seriously…" he said. "…we always either dismissed it as propaganda or a comforting piece of folklore by those of their kind who remembered the first war over a thousand years ago, and even more so by the survivors of the Quincy Genocide."

Shinji made a sound of disgust. "…do they really intend to destroy the world just for the sake of revenge?" he asked angrily. "Before Kurotsuchi went back to his lair he mentioned something about emergency measures to deal with the imbalance caused by so many Hollows being destroyed by the Quincy."

"Yhwach may just be plotting something along the lines of what Aizen was plotting, though I fear that the Quincy King may have greater chances of successfully remaking the world in his image. It's not something we can allow to happen, but I don't think we need to worry about destroying the world. As for your other concerns Kurotsuchi-san is competent so I'm certain that he can deal with it. What I'm more worried about is the future of the Gotei 13."

"No shit…" Shinji said. "…we're down three captains including the Captain-Commander, with one of the other two captains killed by our boy Kurosaki. No, I don't want to talk about him for now. I'd rather not let my Hollow loose in here. Going back to the Gotei 13, we're down two lieutenants: Kira for the Third Division and Hisagi for the Ninth Division. The rank-and-file have also suffered critical losses."

"Hollow reinforcements have proven ineffective." Urahara mused. "Apart from Grimmjow-san every other Hollow I brought in as reinforcement personnel have been wiped out. These Quincy…they're not like the Ishidas. If anything I'd say they're like the Quincy from over a thousand years ago, against which the Gotei 13 was originally formed as a deterrent."

"A bunch of devils, black sheep, and bad eggs…" Shinji said deprecatingly. "…not the most admirable bunch, but they put Yhwach to sleep. But while I'd like to say I really wish we were like them, if that were the case could we still call ourselves the Gotei 13?"

Urahara didn't answer, and an uncomfortable silence fell between them. "Where's that Arrancar anyway?" Shinji finally asked and Urahara beamed.

"Oh Grimmjow-san…?" he replied innocently. "I asked him to lodge with the Shibas for a while. Yoruichi's with him to keep him in line."

Shinji stared blankly in disbelief at the other Shinigami for a while before shaking his head to clear it. "Kuukaku Shiba is going to kill you for having her put up with an Arrancar, you do realize that right?" he finally said.

"Oh I think I can manage."

"Right…" Shinji said while rolling his eyes. He turned to head back to the ward proper, but paused and asked another question. "…when and what do you to intend to inform Kurosaki's family?"

Urahara briefly closed his eyes before giving a reply. "That…" he slowly said. "…is something that the next Captain-Commander must decide for us."

"I see. What of the Ishida boy?"

"He's busy."

"Right…"

"Kisuke-san…" Fourth Division Captain Retsu Unohana called out to them. "…Shinji-san, what are you doing over there? We need all the help we can get."

"Sorry about that Captain Unohana!" Urahara said cheerfully while heading back into the after Shinji. "We'll get back to work right away!"

Unohana smiled warmly, but held Urahara back as he made to pass. "Kisuke-san…" she said quietly. "…if you sent or allowed the Ishida boy to spy from inside Yhwach's inner circle, then forget about him. Yhwach is no fool. I know that quite well." Unohana released Urahara and both immediately went back to work, but inwardly Urahara had disagreed with the first-generation captain.

_Uryuu Ishida survived the Auswahlen and kept his powers. The same goes for the other three remaining Gemischt Quincy. Even if he can't spy for us, he still might be able to influence Kurosaki-san in more ways than one._

Urahara paused and looked out another window. "_Hurry up and choose a new Captain-Commander…_" he thought in frustration towards the Central 46. "_…I don't dare leave the Soul Society until I know it's in good hands, and until then the other two Gemischt Quincy are in danger. They may be of no use on the battlefield – yet – but while I can't say anything about Yhwach, Kurosaki-san won't leave them on their own for long._"

* * *

"I see…" Uryuu said to Haschwalth as they met together in a quiet location within the Living World. "…so the invasion was a success then."

"It was." Haschwalth confirmed laconically. "However our existence has now been fully exposed to the enemy. Despite their critical losses we have reason to believe that they may still have considerable ability to operate outside their home territory. Therefore I have come under His Majesty's orders to summon you to Vandenreich."

Uryuu narrowed his eyes a fraction. "So Yhwach finally wishes for me to join the empire then?" he asked redundantly, and this time it was Haschwalth's turn to narrow his eyes. He didn't miss the belligerent nature of the question or Uryuu's narrowed eyes, or the disrespectful way that he addressed the Emperor.

_This boy is unstable. He could cause trouble within our forces. He's different from Kurosaki. Just what is His Majesty planning?_

"We are currently preparing to follow through on our next move against the Soul Society." Haschwalth finally said. "Further details on the invasion, our future plans, and your role within the Vandenreich will be given once we return. Gather your things. I will return in one hour."

The Grand Master turned to leave, but was preempted by Uryuu who placed a hand on his shoulder. Haschwalth narrowed his eyes, but kept his cool as he turned to face the other Quincy. "Is something wrong?" he asked neutrally.

"Just one question before I acknowledge His Majesty's summons."

_Ah…so you finally acknowledge His Majesty? But it will take more than that for me to lower my guard around you._

"Ask, and I will answer if I can."

"Is…is Kurosaki with the Vandenreich?" Uryuu asked hesitantly, but Haschwalth merely raised an eyebrow at such a question.

"Where else would he be?" he answered to Uryuu's shock and horror. "He may be Gemischt, but he is still a Quincy and a Stern Ritter who has since proven his loyalty to His Majesty on the blood of our enemies in the Soul Society. Rest assured, if you wish to be reunited with your friend then look no further. Any and all Quincy will return to Vandenreich, be it sooner or later."

Without anything further to say the Grand Master turned and vanished back into the Emperor's shadow.

* * *

"I never expected they'd bring Hollows into the Soul Society." Cang Du observed as he sat at a table with Mask and Ichigo.

Mask simply snorted before giving a reply. "They're desperate, and so they're showing their true colors." He said. "Did you really expect villains like the Shinigami to be above using monsters like those against us?"

"As much as I hate to admit it…" Cang Du said. "…yes. Regardless of differences in methodology and ideology, I expected the Shinigami to have more…integrity."

"You'll be disappointed then." Ichigo said. "Based on my experiences, it's a rare thing for a Shinigami to have integrity. Just take one look at the Rukongai and the nobility. Or study the Daten and the Hollowfication incidents over a century ago. I might be generalizing, but in hindsight it's obvious that the Soul Society just looks better than it actually is."

"_What about you though?_" Cang Du thought at Ichigo's words, though he put it aside. Ichigo might have broken comradeship with the Shinigami he'd fought with in the past, but he was an exception for Cang Du. It wasn't his fault that he'd been left ignorant of his heritage, and now that that was dealt with, he'd given his allegiance where it should be due: to His Majesty and the Vandenreich.

"I'll say it again: villains!" Mask said emphatically, and this time Cang Du and Ichigo nodded their agreement.

"So dramatic…" Liltotto commented as she and the rest of the girls walked into the gallery where the three male Stern Ritter were enjoying dinner. "…but that's just like you isn't it?"

Mask just chuckled jovially. "To fight against the forces of villainy and injustice is a noble calling!" he said. "It is something to be proud of, so shall I not perform it with good cheer and gusto?"

"I've got no complaints there." Ichigo said while giving a toast, and Mask nodded at both him and Cang Du who'd also raised his cup to his statement. "What's wrong with Giselle?"

Bambietta made a strangling sound while Liltotto and Candice giggled. "She's just depressed that she wasn't allowed to keep her new toys." The Stern Ritter 'P' the Power Meninas McAllon answered.

The three males briefly looked perturbed at the reminder of Giselle's…hobby, but it quickly passed. "I can't say I'm not grateful." Ichigo said jokingly and with a grin, and this time Bambietta laughed as well at Giselle's indignation.

"You people are just no fun." The brunette Stern Ritter said while sticking her tongue out before storming off.

"Don't worry she'll calm down after a bit." Liltotto told the other before prancing off after Giselle, and Bambietta and Candice joined their fellows at the table.

"I'm surprised Bazz-B isn't here." Bambietta observed.

"He's out enjoying himself." Cang Du replied.

"Ah…"

"He's going to get weird diseases if he's not careful." Ichigo commented deadpan, and Mask and Bambietta laughed. They laughed some more at Candice's indignant expression.

"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Oh sure…" she said while rolling her eyes. "…well let me tell you something: we Vandenreich ladies keep clean!"

Bambietta muttered something under her breath, and Candice glared at her. "Are you spoiling for a fight?" she asked, and then her expression turned crafty. "And besides, are you really one to talk? You haven't been blowing people up lately, so you must have another way to relieve stress. And considering how you've been spending a lot of time with Ichigo lately…"

"That's none of your business!" the two Stern Ritter said at the same time, and then blushed at the realization. This time it was Mask and Candice's turn to laugh at their expense, and even Cang Du managed a slight smile.

"That's it…" Ichigo said while getting up and heading back to his residence. "…I'm off to bed."

"Likewise…" Bambietta said, and Candice flashed a triumphant grin.

"Don't forget to use protection you two!" she shouted after them, but they simply shut her out.

"There's supposed to be an important announcement within the next couple of days according to the Daten." Ichigo said as they walked through the snowy and shadowed streets of Vandenreich.

"...I know." Bambietta said. "I wonder what it is about though."

"We'll know soon enough." Ichigo said. "Anyway we'll have some free time coming up. Care to join me in bankai training?"

"Sure why not? It's not like I have anything better to do anyway."

* * *

A/N

And there we go.

Interesting plot hole in canon: Uryuu is not the only Gemischt Quincy to survive the Auswahlen, seeing as there's Ichigo and his sisters. No, I don't intend to send them onto the battlefield. But they'll probably have a role of some sort.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

The Light of Destruction

Chapter 5

"**ICHIGO…!**" Renji screamed incoherently with his eyes bulging in their sockets as he violently convulsed on his bed, while medical personnel struggled to keep him down and prevent him from doing further harm to himself. Even then his convulsions were clearly reopening his barely healed wounds, blood staining through his bandages and into the bed below. "**WHY…ICHIGO…WHY…?**"

Unohana rushed over to assist her subordinates, calming words already at the tip of her tongue, but one glance was enough to ascertain that appearances aside Renji was clearly not yet fully coherent. Oh his eyes were open, and he could speak, but it was clear that his mind was still trapped in those terrible memories – both seen with his eyes and sensed via reiatsu – of being betrayed by someone he had trusted and considered as a friend.

_Ichigo Kurosaki…_

Months ago there had been rumors that the infamous Kuugo Ginjou might have been targeting the powerless former Substitute Shinigami, but then Ichigo had seemingly-vanished. At first they had thought that Ginjou might have gotten to him under the Onmitsukidou's nose, but it was soon made evident that even Ginjou and his gang had been caught flat-footed by the boy's disappearance.

An investigation had been considered but had ultimately been deferred. The boy had probably just gone on off on something the living had the freedom and opportunity to do, and considering his services in the past against Aizen it had been judged that he had earned the right to live his life freely.

_What had really happened? What had turned that good-hearted boy into one of Yhwach's rightly-feared knights?_

The captain's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of her lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu. "Is something the matter, Isane?" she asked.

"Captain Unohana…" the girl replied as Unohana personally sedated Renji. "…we've received a message. It seems that the other captains have gathered to greet the arrival of the Royal Guard, and…"

"I see…" Unohana interrupted her with a smile and a nod. "…very well. I suppose I can leave our patients in your care for the moment, can't I Isane?"

"...yes, captain!" Isane replied with an enthusiastic nod, and Unohana went off to meet with the other captains.

_Yhwach…_

The name of the dreaded Quincy King stirred her blood, and Unohana felt her fingers twitch in anticipation of battle. She had originally learned healing kidou from the master Tenjirou Kirinji as a means of healing worthy opponents that she might fight them again in the future, but with the end of the war over a thousand years ago and again with the Quincy Genocide centuries ago it had become something she had done only as a means of reliving the past.

There was simply no point in swinging her sword. Mere Hollows were simply not worth staining her proud blade, Minazuki, and so she allowed herself to take comfort in memories of glorious battles and spilled blood of worthy foes in the past.

But as time passed what had originally been a way of inducing nostalgia for those dark yet glorious years had become something more. Peace…justice…honor…things that she would have disdained in the past had become cherished and valued, and while a part of her accused her of being weak she knew better.

_The First Kenpachi no longer had any need to exist in this world._

Even with the rise of Aizen she had suppressed the desire to draw her blade. Along with Yamamoto she was probably the only one who could have matched him in power, but she had decided against facing him. And it wasn't just Kyouka Suigetsu…much like Yamamoto she knew there were ways to defeat the traitor's vaunted complete hypnosis, but she'd chosen to place her faith in the new generation of Shinigami, in people like the current roster of captains, the Visored…and Ichigo Kurosaki.

All because in Aizen she saw the old generation, the Shinigami of the ancient war, who had fought Yhwach and his knights and matched them terror for terror, blood with blood, death with death, and atrocity with atrocity. And she recognized the fact that the new generation should be the ones to defeat him, and in so doing secure a future for the Soul Society that would not be built on blood and terror.

_And that trust had been rewarded, and Aizen was sealed away._

But now Yhwach was back. The Quincy had returned. Ichigo Kurosaki was one of them. As she approached the meeting grounds, Unohana wondered if all her hopes for the old generation and their memories of fire, war, blood and death to fade away would be for naught.

_Would Minazuki be drawn again, not to heal but to kill once more, and drown the battlefield in blood?_

Her thoughts turned to Isane, and her cherished subordinates and students within the Fourth Division, and the First Kenpachi felt an unexpected pang at the thought of what the war would do to them. And then her thoughts turned to _that _person, who she had deemed long ago to be the one to surpass her.

But she had always decided against fully unlocking his potential, all because she had considered that there had been no need for her to be surpassed in this peaceful world. But it seemed that she was wrong, and that she needed to be surpassed.

She knew what the cost would be, but she would bear it regardless, all because the new generation needed a new champion among champions, one to wield the blade with equal no greater force than she had long ago, but one untainted by her past. As the Royal Guard arrived with much fanfare and exuberance, Retsu Unohana hardened her resolve, not to drown the foe in their own blood, but to make the ultimate sacrifice for the future of the Soul Society.

* * *

White boots slammed onto the ground with synchronized precision, white cloaks flowing through the air with the movements of their wearers, and light flashed off of silver crosses and chains as they were raised proudly into the air. "Hold your crosses high!" the assembled Stern Ritter shouted as one. "To His Majesty the Emperor Yhwach, Stern Ritter salute!"

"My Stern Ritter…" the Emperor calmly began as he took to the stage. "…I have something I wish to share with you."

The Stern Ritter remained silent, awaiting the words of their Emperor. The Emperor smiled and made a gesture, and a bespectacled teen dressed in a customized variant of their uniform stepped beside him. Eyes widened, faces contorted, and mouths fell open with shock…except for the Stern Ritter 'L' who simply gave a deprecating chuckle.

_Figures…I knew he'd show up eventually one way or another...but while I'm not surprised that he's here, what's he doing on the stage with His Majesty?_

"This is Uryuu Ishida." Yhwach introduced the younger Quincy, silencing the shocked whispers and muttering among the Stern Ritter. "The only surviving Quincy in the world of the living…"

Ichigo felt surprise at that, as technically speaking he too was a Gemischt, and the same went for his sisters. Perhaps he was finally recognized as an Echt for his services in the first strike? That thought however was quickly banished by the Emperor's next statement, and he joined his fellow Stern Ritter at gaping at the stage.

"…and he shall be my successor."

Stunned silence met the Emperor's words. The Emperor looked on expectantly, as though daring his knights to challenge his latest proclamation. And challenge there was, as Bazz-B broke ranks and charged the stage. "Your Majesty…!" the 'H' shouted. "What's…?"

Words died and the charge was halted by an outstretched arm across his chest by the Grand Master. "Is something the matter?" the Emperor asked.

"No Your Majesty…" Haschwalth replied. "…everything is as it should be."

Yhwach smiled with evident satisfaction. "In that case…" he said. "…dismissed…!"

* * *

Explosions erupted across the training ground, and made Ichigo consider making use of the Light. Bambietta was in one word **PISSED**. Well actually confused at the recent announcement, but her inability to understand why the Emperor would make an unknown his successor out of the blue had lit the fuse on her temper.

As a result Ichigo – despite his expert grasp of hirenkyaku – found it increasingly harder to dodge her bombs despite his creative use of the training grounds' Seireitei-like design to avoid precision strikes from Bambietta, as she responded with simply carpet bombing his general location. And worse of all Bambietta was steadily making that general area smaller and smaller with every wave of explosives as she measured his mettle.

_She may be short-tempered, but she's not stupid. But I can be serious too, if that's what she wants._

Bambietta stood atop a building that wouldn't look out of place in the Seiretei and bombed Ichigo as the other Stern Ritter jumped from building to building and across streets. He was fast that much was certain, but his refusal to go on the offensive was starting to annoy her. And as much as she liked him – though she'd never admit it out loud – it seemed that she needed to step the game up.

_There was no point in training at our level if we don't give it our all. Holding back in training is only for recruits._

Narrowing her eyes, she sped up the firing rate of her bombs and predicted Ichigo's course before sending off a volley in that direction. She smiled as Ichigo landed in the target area and was immediately engulfed in fire and smoke, although she felt her insides clench at the thought that she might actually hurt him.

_As if Stern Ritter would fall that easily. With Blut Vene – and as a Kurosaki he's got strong Blut by Echt standards – he wouldn't get hurt that much…_

Her thoughts on the matter went blank as blazing beams of light lanced from the dust cloud towards her, and her eyes went wide as she barely managed to dodge the surprisingly well-aimed attacks. Well she wanted him to go serious, but to actually use the Light even in its most basic form was something unexpected given Ichigo's preference for older and more time-tested battle tactics.

Blades swung at her neck, but she countered both with Blut Vene before using bombs to destroy Ichigo's doppelgangers, and using hirenkyaku stabilized herself in midair to meet the expected attack from the rear…although she certainly never expected a rather singed and dusty Ichigo to grab her by the wrists and force her against a nearby wall.

Bambietta blinked and felt her cheeks heat up as Ichigo's face came close to her own. "Bambietta…" he began softly, and she swallowed.

"Yes…?"

There was a pause. "…you got careless." He said, and she blinked again before beginning to grind her teeth as irritation built up with the realization that he'd just led her along. Before things could get explosive though, he quickly let go and stepping back began to dust his clothes. "I guess we're even."

Bambietta blinked again, and then she felt stinging from her neck. A brief investigation found a pair of shallow cuts along her neck's sides, and she realized that without Blut Vene she'd probably be dead. She smiled. "You're a nasty bastard, do you know that?" she asked, and Ichigo laughed.

"I am aren't I?" he asked back while handing her a first aid kit clipped to his belt. "But that makes you a vicious bitch."

She shrugged and accepted the offered help. "Maybe…" she said. "…but I really think we need to cut back on hanging around with Liltotto. I mean seriously, just listen to us."

"Yeah, that's true."

"By the way, what do you mean I was careless?"

"You expected an attack from the rear, and you were right, except that I didn't use a sword and instead used my bare hands. Granted most enemies would die if they tried that trick against you, but with opponents on our level…"

"Alright, alright…" Bambietta interrupted irritably. "…I get the idea. Seriously, you sound a lot like Hashwalth at times."

"Can't help it…" Ichigo said with a shrug as he and Bambietta walked out of the training grounds. "…he was behind refining my swordsmanship among other things."

"True…" Bambietta conceded. "…he's bound to rub off on you if that were the case. And point taken…maybe I should see if Meninas is willing to train..."

"Just be careful if she is." Ichigo said in all seriousness. "Have you seen the muscles that girl gets when she uses the Power?"

"...I know I've seen them before."

"Also…" Ichigo continued. "…you shouldn't get too worked up with what happened earlier. His Majesty always has reasons behind what he does, and if that's not enough, well Haschwalth clearly knows what he's doing, doesn't he?"

Bambietta spat out an incoherent curse, but nodded her assent. "I suppose I can't argue with you there." She finally said.

* * *

Urahara stood with the other captains as they watched the Royal Guard return to the Royal Palace accompanied by the unconscious Rukia and Renji. "Well there they go." Thirteenth Division Captain Jushirou Ukitake commented as the smoke from the Shiba Cannon began to dissipate. "And we have our own duties to attend to."

"That's certainly true." Urahara said with a chuckle, and Ukitake raised an eyebrow before allowing the other captains to go back to the Seireitei ahead of him.

"I'm certainly interested in hearing what you're up to, Urahara-san." He said, and Urahara favored him with a knowing smile.

"No doubt you do…" Urahara replied. "…alright, what if I told you that I was working on a countermeasure that would not only prevent the Quincy from stealing our bankai, but also allow those who had their bankai stolen to reclaim them?"

"Is it possible?"

Urahara laughed. "It still needs a lot of work but yes, it can be done." He said. "I managed to lift something of interest from a high-ranking Quincy back in Hueco Mundo."

"And what happened to that Quincy?" Ukitake asked, and Urahara looked to a distant hill where a bored-looking Grimmjow was sitting and lazily staring out over the Rukongai.

"He's dead. Our convenient ally from the Espada took care of him real quick."

"I see." Ukitake said with a nod, and then he followed after the other captains. "In that case I better leave you to your work."

"That would be most appreciated." Urahara said with another chuckle. "Oh and seeing that you'll probably be busy in the coming days, congratulations and good luck in advance."

Ukitake paused, and then he sighed. "Do you really think I'll be chosen?" the sickly man asked.

"It's not like we have much choice." Urahara replied in all seriousness. "Captain Unohana is eminently qualified, but despite all her years of service I strongly doubt the Central 46 will be able to look past who she was and who she is. And after her and with all our losses recently you're the only one with the seniority."

Ukitake sighed again. "You're probably right…" he said. "…but if that's the case then I'll probably be have the shortest tenure as Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13."

The man laughed and then looked over a shoulder at Urahara. "Well I suppose that's how things are, aren't they?" he asked. "But if that's the case, then I'll just have to do everything I can to make what little time I have as meaningful as probable."

"Don't make funeral preparations just yet. No one knows what the future might bring."

"Maybe…" Ukitake said as he began to walk away. "…but even if we win I'm not really sure if I'll live to see the day afterwards."

"Good luck with the Central 46…" Urahara said. "…you're going to need it."

"Less luck and more forcefulness would probably be more useful."

* * *

Ichigo strode down the snowy streets of Vandenreich, and paused before pulling his hood back and turning. "I never took you for the nostalgic type Ishida." He said, and after a moment Uryuu appeared from around a corner with his usual stoic expression on his face.

"Nostalgic…?"

"The first time we met…" Ichigo replied with a faint smile while looking up at the dark sky and the softly-falling snow. "…you were stalking me and Rukia, remember?"

"I was not stalking you."

"Fine…" Ichigo said disdainfully. "…you were following me. Some difference…"

"So you remember…"

"…of course I remember." Ichigo said with a snort. "Did you really think His Majesty had my memories erased?"

"…so why…?"

"Why what…?"

"Stop messing around!" Uryuu exploded. "The Daten states that you killed Byakuya Kuchiki, massacred the students in the Spirit Academy before destroying it, and your kill count of regular Shinigami is easily on-par with the other Stern Ritter!"

Ichigo sighed and regarded Uryuu sadly. "Ishida…" he began. "…please don't tell me that the only reason that you joined us was to avenge the Auswahlen?"

The bespectacled boy's eyes widened with shock. "What?" Ichigo continued. "Are you surprised that I'm not in this for the same reason? I'm not stupid. Revenge won't bring my mother back to life. It won't change anything. On the other hand working with my mother's relatives – with you and your relatives as well – gives me a chance to…"

"You ransomed them…" Uryuu interrupted with evident surprise. "…that's why the Daten states that they're to be spared. Inoue-san…Yasutora-san…your sisters…"

"…well you are or were the biggest nerd in our level…" Ichigo said with a smile.

"…that's neither here nor there…" Uryuu said while gritting his teeth. "…but what about everyone else? The Visored…your friends in the Soul Society…your father…"

Ichigo's face fell, and he wearily rubbed his forehead. "…you can't save everyone." He said simply, and Uryuu found himself drawing back in horror. The Ichigo he knew would never say something like that, and while he knew that it was a fact of reality that ought to be expected from a fellow Quincy it just shouldn't be coming from him.

"…what did they do to you Ichigo?"

Ichigo shrugged. "That…" he began. "…is a long story…"

* * *

"Kiyone…" Ukitake called to one of his Third Seated Officers, and the younger Shinigami immediately rushed over from where she'd been working over some paperwork. "…I want you to divide the management duties of the Thirteenth Division between yourself and Sentarou, at least until a new captain for the Thirteenth is chosen."

"Captain…?"

Ukitake just stood and handed her a piece of paper, and left for a walk to gather his thoughts. "Oh and request an immediate audience with the Central 46 regarding matters of importance."

"Y-yes…" Kiyone stammered out, and read the official proclamation from the Central 46 a second time. Even though she knew that it was something to be seen as a great honor, and that her captain was the logical choice as a successor, it was still something of a shock, as though it drove home that the legend that was Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto was truly dead.

_And Captain Ukitake would be leaving the Thirteenth for good._

"By order of the Central 46, the next Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 shall be Jushirou Ukitake. This order is to take effect immediately, and Jushirou Ukitake is hereby transferred from the Thirteenth Division and given command of the First Division."

* * *

A/N

Sorry about taking so long, but I was busy.

The next chapter shall be a flashback showing Ichigo's recruitment into the Vandenreich.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

The Light of Destruction

Chapter 6

Ichigo Kurosaki was just an ordinary boy. At least that's what he looked like to those ignorant of events over the past year. What they couldn't have known was that he was a former Substitute Shinigami, and that prior to losing his power he had fought battles that literally would have reduced his surroundings to smoking ashes.

_He had fought and defeated a man who sought to become a god, and had come damn close to it too._

But that was all in the past. All things have a price, and the price of victory was the loss of his Shinigami powers. And now that same boy was sitting in the park, waiting for someone who had called him all the way out here out of the blue. He would not be kept waiting for long.

Combat instincts caught the arrival of someone just as wary – if not more so – as he was, and were he still a Substitute Shinigami he would probably have felt the sheer power of his contact. As it was, all he could sense was that this man was not to be trifled with. "Are you the one who called me?"

"Former Substitute Shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki…" the long-haired blonde man began, and Ichigo abruptly stood from the park bench in shock.

"The Soul Society…?"

"…my name is Jugram Haschwalth. I am a Quincy." The business-attired man introduced himself, and Ichigo relaxed a fraction.

"What do you want?" he asked. "If you're a Quincy, then you should be talking to…"

"Ishida will be a concern for another day." Haschwalth interrupted Ichigo calmly. "But you Kurosaki…you will be a Quincy as well."

Utter silence met his words, and after several moments Ichigo began to laugh. "…okay that was good…" he said after a few moments of laughter. "…but seriously…"

"Masaki Kurosaki…" Haschwalth interrupted him again. "…she was a Quincy."

Ichigo was struck speechless, and after a moment he narrowed his eyes. "…so?" he finally said. "Are you saying that I should carry on her legacy or something like that?"

"Of course I am." Haschwalth said. "But I suppose you need to know more."

The man paused and then reached into a pocket and withdrew what looked a simpler model of an iPad. "This has some information on us in it." He said. "Read it, and then return tonight. I will be waiting…no, **we **will be waiting."

"Who's 'we'?"

"The Quincy King and myself…" Haschwalth replied cryptically, and after a moment Ichigo took the offered device and with a nod the elder Quincy turned to leave.

* * *

Ichigo scratched his head. "I really hate this part of the story…" he said.

"Is it because you found out the events of the past thousand years?" Uryuu asked scathingly.

"…not really no…" Ichigo replied, and Uryuu snorted in response. He'd expected as much from one of the Stern Ritter. "…I hate the fact that I acted as rashly as I did after I read what Haschwalth gave to me."

"Acting rashly is pretty much on par with you."

"True…" Ichigo conceded with a smile. "…but it's not really appropriate for a Quincy, is it now?"

"I guess not." Uryuu admitted, and then he gave a sigh. "So what happened next?"

* * *

Words could not describe how he felt at that moment. Reading a detailed description of the Quincy Genocide had been bad enough, of how the Shinigami had slaughtered them not just on the battlefield but had also broken into their homes and killed them there as well.

_Not even the children were spared…and when they died their souls would go to the Soul Society and completely under the thumbs of the Shinigami. He didn't care much to think what happened to them there._

It was just so hard to imagine that the Gotei 13 could have been so brutal. He just couldn't see people like Rukia, Renji, or even Byakuya and Sui-Feng do things like that, much less imagine that the motherly Retsu Unohana was once the most feared serial killer in what would later be known as the Rukongai.

_Or perhaps he'd just forgotten the way they so easily planned to burn Rukia's soul down to nothing long ago…_

But all that paled in comparison to the event from nine years ago: Auswahlen. The sealed Quincy King – Yhwach – had reclaimed the powers of the greater portion of the Quincy…including that of his mother.

"We meet at last Ichigo Kurosaki." Yhwach said as he arrived along with Haschwalth. Unlike before the blonde Quincy was dressed in typical Quincy white, albeit with a more militant feel compared to what Ishida usually wore. "I have been looking forward to this meeting for a long time now. Your achievements – in particular the defeat of Sousuke Aizen, a man even I hold a great deal of respect for – do you credit."

Ichigo swallowed. "Are…" he whispered, clenching his fists repeatedly in a gesture not unnoticed by either of the two Quincy. Haschwalth narrowed his eyes, but Yhwach merely smiled indulgently. "…are you…are you Yhwach?"

"I am." Yhwach confirmed. "I am Yhwach, Emperor of the Vandenreich and Father of the Quincy."

"Why?"

"Why 'what'…?"

Ichigo exploded. He wanted answers as to why his mother had to die, and she probably died only because the man before him had taken away her powers just when she needed it the most. "**I'M ASKING YOU WHY DID YOU KILL MY MOTHER?**" he raged. "**WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT?**"

"I expected questions of the sort from you." Yhwach said with an understanding nod while dropping his smile in deference to Ichigo's state of mind. "But those are questions whose answers are something you in your current state are not ready to understand."

The Emperor paused, and then shook his head. "No…" he corrected himself. "…it's not so much that you can't understand it's that you can't bring yourself to accept them. You already have the answers you seek, do you not?"

The Emperor paused again and locked gazes with Ichigo. "You are a Quincy." He said. "Despite your youth and your volatility your Quincy heritage has always been the foundation of your power, and has merely worn your so-called Shinigami powers as a cloak to conceal your true nature from our enemies."

The Emperor smiled and held out a hand. "Join us." He said. "Let us unlock your full potential, and return you to where you belong."

"**SCREW YOU!**" Ichigo roared, and charged the Emperor despite knowing that in his current state such a course of action was suicide. This was a man who had challenged Yamamoto at the height of his power, and which even the elder Shinigami could not kill and could only seal away for a thousand years.

_All that mattered was getting revenge for his mother._

Haschwalth took a step forward only to be held back by an outstretched arm from the Emperor. Ichigo didn't care. He pulled back an arm and swung his fist at the man's face…and then his eyes went wide as the skin and flesh on his arm boiled away starting from the fist up, leaving behind nothing but crumbling bone that slowly but steadily fell apart.

He didn't even have time to scream as the same thing happened to the rest of his body.

The Emperor and the Grand Master stared coolly down at the catatonic boy convulsing at their feet, and then the Emperor glanced to the side as the Stern Ritter 'V' the Visionary Gremmy Thoumeaux stepped out from behind a tree and gave an impudent smile. The Emperor turned away and retreated into the shadows. "Do try to keep him in one piece Gremmy." He said in parting.

The Stern Ritter in question smirked and glanced at the Grand Master who oversaw a pair of Soldat putting the boy on a stretcher and taking him back to the Vandenreich. "He's all yours Visionary." The blonde said. "Don't overdo it."

* * *

Ichigo paused in his recollection and focused on brushing snow out of his hair and off of his shoulders. "How can you be so loyal to people like them?" Uryuu said, trying to reason with his fellow Quincy. "They…tortured you…they killed out mothers…"

"Ishida…" Ichigo began chidingly. "…don't jump to the end of the story when we're still in the middle. Although you are right about one thing: Gremmy did torture me, albeit in a mental form."

"Then why?"

"It was necessary, that's why." Ichigo said coldly, and Uryuu stepped back with a gasp of horror. As he uttered those words, Uryuu could see the cold pragmatism that had always defined his people, and for the first time he found himself questioning the same heritage that he had always been proud of. "Things **have **to be done…" Ichigo insisted. "…otherwise…well the results of the war a thousand years ago and the genocide centuries ago speak for themselves don't they?"

Ichigo chuckled sadly and scratched a cheek. "They put me in a cell beneath Silbern." He said. "The first four days were sheer hell. I'd rather not talk about the details, but I can give an outline at the least. Gremmy showed me what would happen if we lost the war. He showed me how not only would the Shinigami kill our soldiers on the battlefield, but repeat the horror of genocide on their families. You know it too, don't you Ishida: there are those Quincy out there who aren't involved in the fighting, and are left out of it for the sake of the future. For when the dust settles, and the fighting ends: when we can finally put our swords down."

Ichigo paused and closed his eyes briefly before continuing. "It wasn't only until the end of the fourth day that I finally saw what Gremmy was trying to get through to me: that we Quincy need everyone available for the fight at hand. And that even a single Quincy could tip the scale of victory and defeat. And that if I didn't help them…"

Ichigo sighed and shook his head. "…I told him to screw off, and that I'd never betray my friends in the Soul Society." He said regretfully. "Stupid bravado…the next two days were even worse. Again Gremmy showed me what would happen if we lose, and the Shinigami got their hand on the records the empire keeps. I saw…Karin…Yuzu…"

Ichigo's voice failed him for several moments, and Uryuu finally realized what it was that had finally broken the former Substitute Shinigami. "I broke then and there…" Ichigo admitted with a laugh. "…although I still refused to let go of the past and instead begged to die…or at least I think I did. The memories are a bit hazy during the sixth day with Gremmy."

"What happened on the seventh day?" Uryuu asked with a sick voice, curious despite of it all.

"I burned out." Ichigo said bluntly. "I still have emotions but I finally got them under control, and found myself thinking about everything. The information in the attenuated portion of the Daten Haschwalth gave me…His Majesty's words that night…and of course Gremmy's 'reeducation'…I didn't scream or beg, but stayed silent. I think I annoyed Gremmy with that one, seeing as he actually kicked me before leaving."

"And then what?" Uryuu pressed.

"And then…" Ichigo said with a note of satisfaction. "…everything fell into place, the way it should be."

* * *

"How are you today Ichigo Kurosaki?" Yhwach asked as he finally visited the younger Quincy in his cell accompanied as usual by Haschwalth. Gremmy…was nowhere to be seen.

"I could be better." Ichigo replied, and then he shook his arms and shakily got to his feet, the reishi chains binding them clanking as he did so. "I don't think you would come all the way down here just to inquire about my well-being though."

"On the contrary…" Yhwach corrected him. "…that is precisely why I am here, as well as to renew my offer of you joining your people at last."

"A few questions first."

"That is not unreasonable. Ask…"

"Auswahlen…" Ichigo began. "…it doesn't really kill anyone, does it?"

"…no, it does not." Yhwach replied with a nod. "But I rightly bear the blame for those of my descendants who died as a result of the abruptly changed circumstances they found themselves in."

"Really…?"

Yhwach closed his eyes for a moment. "My blood runs in all your veins…" he finally said while opening his eyes. "…and while I admit that a certain part of your power returns to me upon your deaths and thus your deaths do benefit me to an extent, you are all still as sons and daughters to me. But we are Quincy. We must do what needs to be done. Otherwise all those who have died in the past, and all those that died to get us to this juncture would find no meaning in their deaths."

Ichigo lowered his head and nodded softly in understanding. "One more question then." He said, and the Emperor nodded in assent. "My sisters…"

"Yes they are Quincy too." The Emperor confirmed. "You wish for them to be kept out of the fighting?"

"…it's not just them…"

"Your father as well then…?"

"…no." Ichigo said to the Emperor and the Grand Master's mixed surprise and approval. "He's a Shinigami. There's no way he'd stay out of the fighting. It's sad but…that's just how things are."

Yhwach nodded in understanding. "Then who…?"

"My sisters of course…" Ichigo said. "…and then my friends: Arisawa Tatsuki, Keigo Asano, Mizuiro Kojima, Orihime Inoue, and Sado Yasutora. Is it possible to keep them out of this?"

"That is not unreasonable request." The Emperor conceded. "I will have their names added to the Daten with orders not to harmed or killed."

Ichigo nodded, and his chains broke with a gesture from the Emperor. Yhwach held out a hand, and in the palm laid a gleaming Quincy Cross. Ichigo took it without hesitation. "Haschwalth…" the Emperor said.

"Yes Your Majesty?"

"…fit Kurosaki in."

"Understood…" Haschwalth said, and the Emperor turned to leave as both Ichigo and Haschwalth bowed after him. "…come…" the Grand Master said with a gesture for Ichigo to follow.

As they left the cell, they paused as Ichigo found Gremmy leaning against a nearby wall. Ichigo regarded him briefly, and then gave him a most unexpected smile. "You're a real piece of work, do you know that?" he asked, and Gremmy grinned impudently.

"You have no idea, Mr. Kurosaki." He said, and Ichigo gave a laugh before following after Haschwalth. Gremmy's smile grew wider as he watched the other Quincy leave, and wondered at how things would become once Kurosaki had fully awakened his potential.

_Something tells me that things are going to get very interesting around here._

* * *

Haschwalth first took Ichigo to the medical wing, where he spent an hour being prodded and checked and shot by the medics. The man left him there to run some errands of his own, and had finally returned as Ichigo was putting on his uniform sans his Stern Ritter cloak – that would come later.

"Ichigo Kurosaki…" the Grand Master began. "…as a prospective member of the Stern Ritter His Majesty has seen fit to grant you high-level access to the Daten. Your skill level is not unknown to us, but considering the elapsed time since your battle with Sousuke Aizen it is assumed that they have degraded in the time since then."

Haschwalth paused and narrowed his eyes. "I will personally refine your swordsmanship in time…" he finally said after a moment. "…as well as assist you in Vollstandig training. In the meantime to assist you with regaining a grip on your combat skills as well as settling in within the Vandenreich…"

Haschwalth paused again and actually gave a rare smile before allowing a girl of Ichigo's age to enter the medical wing behind him. Ichigo blinked at the slender and long-haired girl with a heavily-customized variant of his uniform, who was looking at him with a wary sense of curiosity.

_She's quite cute…especially with that hat on. I wonder what she'd look like without it._

"…this is the Stern Ritter 'E' the Explode Bambietta Basterbine." Haschwalth introduced her. He glanced at the two of them and nodded once. "With that said, I take my leave."

The Grand Master left, leaving the two of them together. Bambietta smirked and placed a hand on her hip. Ichigo met her gaze, and after a moment her smile grew wider. "So…" she began. "…you are the Special War Power Ichigo Kurosaki…? Are your skills really what they're made out to be?"

Ichigo smirked back. His past self would probably have been annoyed by her attitude, but the way he was now…it was somehow…alluring? Endearing…? No matter, he'd figure it out eventually be it sooner or later. "Why don't we find out?" he challenged her.

Bambietta gave an approving laugh and led him out of the medical wing. "I'll hold you that…" she said over a shoulder. "…but first the Grand Master said to have you eat something, and then…well there's a few people I'd like you to meet."

* * *

"The rest…" Ichigo began before pausing and then giving a grin. "…well they're private."

Uryuu shook his head in disbelief. "Are you really the same Ichigo I know?" he asked in disbelief. "The Ichigo I know would have fought for what he believed in, and never would have allowed his enemies to indoctrinate him!"

Ichigo tapped his chin, and shrugged. "I guess I'm not the same Ichigo you knew from back then." He said much to Uryuu's horror. "But did you really expect otherwise from what I've told you? Or from what the Daten states about me…?"

Uryuu just made a sound of disgust and looked away in shame. Ichigo chuckled and shook his head. "Fine…" he said while beginning to turn away. "…then be that way if it makes you happy. Let me give you a piece of advice though: don't be stupid. If you ever push me to a choice, well…you'll find my blade at your throat, along with the blades of the other Stern Ritter."

Uryuu narrowed his eyes and watched in silence as Ichigo pulled his hood back on and walked away. It was unbelievable, but there it was: Ichigo, the one person he'd thought would have stood with him against the Vandenreich from the inside, had chosen his side.

_He was alone. Was there anything he could do?_

* * *

A/N

Yes, I know I've been taking liberties with Auswahlen and the Emperor, but hey: that's my take on it in this story. And don't get it wrong: Yhwach is still going to rip the Royal Guard apart, even if he's less of a Blood Knight here and more of a Well-Intentioned Extremist. I won't give spoilers though.

With that said, I do hope my backstory for Ichigo joining the Vandenreich is satisfactory, but that's my best take on it. That's all for now, see you in a couple of weeks or so, and merry Christmas.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

The Light of Destruction

Chapter 7

The Stern Ritter 'L' the Light Ichigo Kurosaki calmly walked down the hallway leading to the Emperor's throne room, guarded as usual by a pair of Soldat, their gas masks and darkened goggles giving them something of a sinister air. They didn't acknowledge the Stern Ritter before them, though Ichigo couldn't fault them for that. They weren't supposed to react to anything unrelated to their duty at hand, and as such despite being in the presence of a superior officer their apparent apathy had to be forgiven.

Ichigo fingered the Sanrei Glove on his right hand, surprised despite himself at the faint sense of regret that he wasn't able to use his Vollstandig during the last battle. But then again, as a Special War Power it would probably have been overkill, and by direct order from the Emperor he was forbidden against using it until a certain point in the war.

Ichigo was shaken out of his musings in the next moment however, as the doors to the throne room opened and the two Soldat threw salutes at him. Ichigo gave a polite nod, and after making sure his uniform was in order, he steadily walked into the room, the doors closing soundlessly behind him. With the assurance of a Stern Ritter, he coolly walked down the aisle, and then respectfully knelt down on one knee before his Emperor.

"Ichigo Kurosaki…" Yhwach began the conversation, as protocol dictated. "…I am most impressed by your achievements on the battlefield. You do not disappoint. You have done well, my son."

"I am honored by your praise." Ichigo responded politely. A part of him disliked such formality, but he knew it was only proper. The part of his life where he could recklessly be hotheaded and charged into things without regard for the consequences was over and done.

_When I was a child, I thought as a child. But when I grew up, I set aside such childish things._

Yhwach nodded before seating back on his throne. "Now then…" he continued. "…why have you requested this audience? You may raise your head."

"Thank you Your Majesty." Ichigo said, doing as commanded. "At the risk of being impudent, I would like to remind you of my request when I entered your service. Considering the circumstances, I would like to have my friends and relatives brought to the safety of the Vandenreich."

Yhwach smiled indulgently and gave a nod. It did not escape his notice that bringing them to the Vandenreich would effectively make them hostages, and that Ichigo was smart enough to know this. That Ichigo was willing to allow it to happen and would actually be the one to bring them to the Vandenreich was most gratifying. The boy, no the young man, had truly and finally grown to his Quincy heritage.

"Your request is not unseemly." He finally said. "I will allow it. Furthermore you may request one of the other Stern Ritter to assist you in your quest, along with as many Soldat as you need for backup."

"You are most generous Your Majesty." Ichigo said gratefully and with a bow of his head. "I am most grateful."

The Emperor nodded and made a dismissing gesture. "You may go."

Ichigo nodded and rose to his feet, and with a bow turned and left.

* * *

"So…" Bambietta began as she walked alongside Ichigo, the two Stern Ritter dressed in casual attire, looking no more than a pair of teenagers out on a date. Of course, whoever mentioned that would probably end up dead, but that was beside the point. "…what are your sisters like?"

"Karin's a bit like me. Actually she's a lot like me." Ichigo admitted. "Yuzu…think Liltotto except without the swearing…I think."

"You think…?"

"I don't really think she's cut out for the battlefield." Ichigo admitted. "But…"

"Yes…?"

"…one thing's for sure." Ichigo said after a moment's pause. "We won't need Gremmy for this. Standard indoctrination for younger Quincy will be sufficient."

"You're quite cold." Bambietta observed. "Sending your sisters to be indoctrinated like that..."

Ichigo set his jaw while they both crossed an intersection. "I don't like it either." He finally ground out afterwards. "But that's standard procedure for Quincy who grew up ignorant of their heritage. Fortunately Gremmy need not be involved, so it won't be so bad. But it has to be done, and I don't need to be reminded how it's a sad part of our reality."

"…sorry…" Bambietta said with genuine feeling. "…I didn't mean to insinuate anything."

Ichigo smiled at her. "Don't worry about it." He assured her. "I know you didn't. You were just making an observation, and I lashed out at you. It's not something a Quincy would have done."

Bambietta smiled back at him. "Alright then…" she began thoughtfully. "…how about this: I won't mention your improper behavior to anyone, and we just forget about this?"

"Deal…!"

The two Quincy shared a laugh, and then came to a stop before the Kurosaki Clinic. "Well…" Ichigo said nostalgically. "…this is home."

"Shall we surprise your sisters?" Bambietta said with an eager smile. "I can sense two Quincy inside, faint of course, but they feel like you, so I assume it's them."

Ichigo laughed, instead heading for the door and opening it without giving a reply. Bambietta shrugged and followed. "Yuzu…!" he said cheerfully, surprising the two girls who'd come out of a backroom, Karin about to yell about ignoring the 'closed' sign on the door, Yuzu following her to try and keep her quiet. "Karin…! I'm back!"

Yuzu screamed and fainted as though she'd seen a ghost, Karin barely succeeding in catching her while gaping at her brother. "Well…" Bambietta observed. "…that could have gone worse."

* * *

"…and the teacher said…" Tatsuki was saying to the rest of Ichigo's friends as they walked down the street. "…that he was an idiot…"

She broke off as a pair of white-cloaked and white-uniformed men wearing berets, darkened goggles, and gas masks appeared from nowhere a good distance before them and began to march purposefully towards them. The group looked apprehensive at the sight, and then silently came to a unanimous conclusion as they turned to walk down the street and away from the strangely-dressed men.

No good: another pair of men in identical attire was also walking towards them from that direction. "What's going on here?" Tatsuki demanded. "Who the hell are you guys, and what do you want?"

All four men came to a halt once she finished talking much to her surprise, standing at the ready. At this point another one of them appeared only this one wasn't wearing either goggles or a gas mask. "My apologies for disturbing you…" the young woman said. "…we're here on the orders of Stern Ritter Kurosaki to take you into custody for your own safety."

"Wait, what…?" Keigo spluttered out. "_Stern Ritter__ Kurosaki…? _And what do you mean you're taking us into custody for our protection? Protection from what…?"

"It's not my place to discuss that." The young woman said. "Stern Ritter Kurosaki will explain matters to you once we return to the Vandenreich."

She gestured, and the Soldat stepped forward to restrain them. "What the…get your hands off of me…!" Tatsuki protested, with Keigo making a similar fuss. Only Mizuiro didn't seem affected at all, which actually gave the Soldat pause.

"When you mean 'Stern Ritter Kurosaki'…" he asked. "…you're referring to Ichigo Kurosaki, aren't you?"

"That is correct Mr. Mizuiro." She replied with a nod. "As I've said, it's not my place to explain things to you, but we are only here to get you to safety."

"And this safe place is the Vandenreich…?"

"That is correct once again."

Mizuiro looked thoughtful for a moment and then gave a nod. He then turned to his friends. "I think we can trust them." He said. "Ichigo wouldn't get us into undue harm, and I feel like I can trust this woman."

"How sure are you about that?" Tatsuki shot back. "If you haven't noticed, they're trying to force us…"

"They probably wouldn't force us if you hadn't been exuding hostility from the beginning." Mizuiro interrupted her. "Although I can't really blame you for that, those uniforms of yours aren't particularly reassuring, are they now?"

The Soldat leader blinked and then chuckled. "No I suppose not." She admitted. "But then again we weren't meant to look reassuring."

"No…" Mizuiro said with a nod. "…you're supposed to look threatening to whoever your enemy is."

The Soldat leader merely narrowed her eyes, caught by surprise by the boy's unusual degree of insight. "Hey wait a minute…!" Keigo protested. "How can you so easily say that you trust a woman you just met? For all we know…"

"I am very good at judging a woman's personality." Mizuiro interrupted smugly.

"Why you…" Keigo began to say when another one of the masked and uniformed men arrived…and dropped a bloody and obviously-dead ninja on the road beside him.

"Onmitsukidou…!" he reported, his voice muffled through his mask. "They probably know we're here."

"I'll update the Daten immediately." She said. "We have to get these three to the Vandenreich now!"

"W-wait…" Tatsuki protested again. "…we didn't say that we'd…and even then…!"

"Clothes and other essentials will be provided in the Vandenreich." The Soldat leader told her. "Now stand still or you might get lost in the shadow."

"What shadow…?"

The answer literally came in the form of a massive surge of shadow that engulfed and swallowed them up. And then they were gone.

* * *

Ichigo and Bambietta alike responded to the Daten update with alarm, the two of them standing up from the couch where they'd been chatting with Yuzu and Karin, along with giving them a watered-down version of Quincy history and Ichigo – and their mother's – involvement in it.

"Ichi-nii…!" Yuzu said in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"They're here." Ichigo snarled. "They used my sisters as bait."

"Ichigo…" Bambietta said while taking out her Quincy Cross and pinning it to her blouse. "…get your sisters ready. I'll buy time."

Ichigo nodded at her, and she blurred with hirenkyaku. "Yuzu…Karin…do you trust me?" he asked them.

Karin didn't know what to think. On one hand she was sure that while her brother had changed to an extent, she still knew that deep down he was still the brother that they knew. But…he was also different. He wouldn't hurt them. He wouldn't allow them to get hurt. But could she trust him?

She glanced at Yuzu, and her heart froze. Yuzu…she had always been infatuated with their brother. It wasn't just a romantic attraction or something along that line, but there was also something between them that prevented her from thinking anything bad about their brother. It also wouldn't let her see anything that had changed Ichigo in ways that they could not and should not accept. She would accept Ichigo no matter what, and trust him regardless.

_She would love him regardless of what he did or what he would become._

And Karin knew that Yuzu would follow Ichigo now. And Karin could not let her sister go alone. She had a similar bond with Yuzu as Yuzu did with Ichigo. The freedom of choice for her in this did not exist.

_Damn it…_

"We'll trust you." she said while dragging Yuzu to their rooms to gather their things. "But you better have a fuller explanation once we arrive at this Vandenreich of yours!"

Ichigo nodded at her as they rushed off. "I promise." He said.

_I'm also sorry. But the explanation you will get will change things in ways that will prevent things from going back to the way they once were._

* * *

Bambietta tore through the Onmitsukidou, her bad temper rising to the surface as she butchered them mercilessly. She was a Stern Ritter, and had power on par with any of their captains. Small-fry like this were below her.

Blood sprayed through the air, although it would be undetectable and intangible to anyone without spiritual awareness. If any ordinary Humans were watching, all they would see is a young girl with a medal and a sword expertly practicing her skills.

With a cathartic snarl of frustration, Bambietta slit an Onmitsukidou member from neck to bellybutton with a one-handed swing of her sword. She then sidestepped a downward swing of a zanpakutou from behind her, instead grabbing the man's back and throwing him bodily at his disemboweled comrade before blowing the two of them up.

A brief flare of reiatsu was all the warning she got, the Stern Ritter whirling and barely raising her sword in time to block a zanpakutou that would have taken her head clean off otherwise. She smiled.

_Finally, a worthy challenger…_

Activating Blut Arterie, Bambietta launched a ferocious counterattack, hammering Isshin Kurosaki back with a series of lightning slashes. Slamming his sword to the side, she lashed out with a kick, somewhat disappointed. Despite being a former captain, the man was barely worth the effort.

_But then again as a captain, his powers would have to be sealed to a mere twenty percent while in the Living World._

Her blow sent the man flying through several walls, but Bambietta bit back a curse as the man raised his hand as though to flick a finger against her. The Daten had a warning regarding that technique and she barely had time to switch to Blut Vene before she too was hurled back a good distance, coming to rest in a 'throne' of rubble that was once a wall across the street from the Kurosaki residence.

_If he'd been at full power, that would have hurt a lot more._

She got to her feet shakily, and then her eyes widened as Isshin appeared before her with his sword cutting down at her. She cursed, blocking by instinct but forced to the side regardless by the sheer force of the blow. She stepped back to get some distance between them, the former captain moving to press her.

"Bankai…" Ichigo said, causing Isshin's eyes to widen in his turn and Bambietta to smile vindictively. "…Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

"Ichigo…!" the man barely had time to say before a wave of pink slammed into Isshin and sent him flying yet again.

"Ichi-nii…!" Karin shouted in horror at the sight, pulling at his clothes while Yuzu gasped at the sight of something she couldn't see get plowed through the surrounding neighborhood.

"We have to go!" Ichigo said, sensing the arrival of another familiar reiatsu. Sure enough in the next moment the skimpily-dressed form of Yoruichi flickered into view above him, her eyes furious and outraged at what he'd just done.

"Ichigo…!" she screamed. "How dare you?"

Ichigo smirked, shadows flaring around and engulfing him and his sisters, taking them all away to the Vandenreich. Yoruichi's blow shattered the concrete instead, the woman biting back a curse as she avoided a salvo of explosives from Bambietta, a parting gift from the young girl as she too vanished into the shadows.

"Damn…"

* * *

"It seems that Ichigo Kurosaki has completed his mission without incident." Haschwalth reported to the Emperor. "No casualties, though the Stern Ritter 'E' has made a request to upgrade Isshin Kurosaki's threat level in the Daten. Even with his power sealed at twenty percent, he was able to press her considerably."

The Emperor nodded, musing on the matter thoughtfully. "The 'E' isn't prone to exaggerating." Haschwalth continued. "Hot-tempered and willful yes, but I believe we should heed her request."

"Very well, make it so." Yhwach conceded. "Isshin is a member of the Shiba Clan. That level of skill and power is only to be expected. Also pass a commendation onto Bambietta as well. My daughter was able to deal with the situation quite well despite a failure of intelligence on our part. She should be rewarded accordingly."

"I understand Your Majesty."

"Oh, and what of Uryuu's mission…?"

"Completed…" Haschwalth reported with some reservation, and the Emperor smirked.

"There was an incident…?"

"…Yasutora was injured during retrieval. Apparently Uryuu couldn't convince him to come along without trouble. Several Soldat were injured as well, nothing too bad, but there were more Shinigami than expected."

"And the Inoue girl…?"

"She has been retrieved." Haschwalth answered. "Apparently she'd been quite willing to go even before the altercation between Yasutora and Uryuu, and she was also the one who patched the former up upon arrival."

"Where is the Yasutora boy now?"

"He is detained. Uryuu has made a request for leniency however I advise leaving Yasutora in solitary confinement for some time until the reality of his situation sinks in. Inoue is currently accompanying Uryuu to meet with the rest of their friends. Of course, I've taken the liberty of giving them the location of their provisional residence."

The Emperor mused on this as well. "Give them limited access to the public areas…" he finally said. "…but also place a guard on them as well. Don't forget to make it clear to them that it will be for their protection against the more…rambunctious members of our army."

"I understand. However I have another concern."

"Oh…? Do tell."

"Uryuu might potentially tell a…less-than-acceptable description of the situation to his friends."

"Let him…" the Emperor said dismissively. "…although I do not believe that to be the case. And even if he does, he knows quite well that it will only make his situation even more precarious than it already is. So long as we have Kurosaki, then we have nothing to fear."

Haschwalth nodded in agreement, quite aware of Ichigo's importance in their plans. "Where is Ichigo now?" the Emperor inquired.

"I believe he is overseeing his sister's reeducation." Haschwalth replied. "According to the Daten, Yuzu Kurosaki will only require minor adjustment, and should be finished within the hour. Karin Kurosaki however might take a few hours to finish."

"I see…" Yhwach said with satisfaction. "…no matter then. Everything is as it should be."

* * *

A/N

Sorry for the long wait, but I've been rather busy lately.

Yes, both Bambietta and Isshin were both holding back, as otherwise there would have been a lot more collateral damage. The Soul Society or rather the Onmitsukidou prepared traps for Ichigo and Uryuu, but as usual they underestimated the Quincy and paid for it, both with the lives of their men, and the fact that all their possible hostages are now in the Vandenreich. Whether or not that's a good thing remains to be seen however…

…reeducation…I suppose it's similar to Reaper Indoctrination but without the negative side-effects. Considering that Yuzu seems to be romantically-attracted/unusually-attached to her brother, her reeducation will proceed much quicker. Karin is more independent so it'll longer for her.

Either way, Gremmy will **not **be involved.

That's all for now…


End file.
